Cats in a Belfry
by FUBARxBUNDY
Summary: She's a criminal, a nutjob, a delinquent, a freak. There were so many rumors about the girl, but when Blake gets accepted to the famous Beacon University, what will she do when the source of all those rumors is her roommate? What's more, perhaps there is more to this mysterious Rose girl than meets the eye. Ladybug pairing/College AU
1. No One Mourns the Wicked

**So, here's something interesting. First fanfiction I've ever written and submitted for public viewing. As you can imagine, I 'm definitely a bit nervous. All I can ask for is... Please be gentle. My heart can't take too much criticism. A lot of characters might be slightly OOC, especially Ruby, but I'm trying something different. I'm going to be playing on the core dynamics of every character, i.e. Ruby being a prodigy, Blake being a bookworm, etc. I'm doing this mostly for my own enjoyment, but I figured there's no harm in letting others read it.**

"Did you hear that she's going to be starting here tomorrow?"

"My friend told me that she just got out of juvy."

"They say she used to fight in those dirty, underground rinks."

"I heard that she went crazy a few years ago."

College life wasn't everything it was built up to be. That's what Blake had learned from her first day at the prestigious Beacon University, a place where only the brightest in the country could ever hope to get into.

Of course, there were good things about it.

The campus was so enormous, it should have had its own area code. It was sectioned off in several areas, with some sections being the size of some shopping centers, complete with roads and parking lots and cafes and restaurants and the sort. There was a large museum of paintings and statues and other historical relics, a massive theatre with several IMax screens that somehow got the latest movies several weeks before they were released to the public, a mall filled with dozens upon dozens of shops for clothes and nic-nacs and sports gear, and even its own planetarium.

But, what Blake loved most about it, of course, was its library. A gigantic oval shaped buildings with four separate entrances and three floors, each carrying its own labyrinth of shelves and tables and reading rooms. There was so much space that, even on a busy day, Blake could still quite easily find a quiet room or space to relax and read a good book.

On top of all that, after meeting her professors, she concluded that this school was indeed worthy of its praise. Her professors, though rather odd and maybe a tad eccentric, were all highly qualified and dedicated to their jobs of teaching their pupils, unlike most colleges that had one of the senior students teach a class, which mostly involved them reading eight or nine pages from a text book and giving the students a date for their next test to study for. Her teachers, going on first impressions alone, seemed to be seasoned professionals with an honest passion for education, something she could respect.

The students were another thing. Although Blake had expected some cultural variety, what with the university being one of the most famous in the world, but what she got was beyond any of her expectations. She knew the maximum amount of students every year was less than ten thousand, which, for a campus that was easily a few miles in size, was rather puny. However, as she walked down the halls towards her dorm, she couldn't help but note the incredibly diverse clothing and ethnicities that surrounded her.

There were students from just a city or two over from where she was from, and then there were kids who came from the other side of the world. Her ears could pick up at least four different languages and dozens of different accents in the short trip up the left wing of the main building.

All and all, despite not being much of a people person, she couldn't stop the feeling of excitement bubbling inside of her as she made her way through the thick crowd of attendees. She saw that some of them were literally jumping for joy as they met their roommates and entered their dorms for the first time, while others would awkwardly shake hands and smile at each other and pretend to be occupied by something happening down the hall. But, above all else, she could tell everyone was feeling the same combination of anxiety and thrill that she was. She thought that, perhaps, she might get along with these kids.

That is save for one student, in particular.

"Didn't someone say she's late because she had to be escorted from the loony bin?"

"Nah nah, man, I heard it's because she cheated her way in. I mean, have you seen her?"

"Yeah, there's no way a girl like her could have gotten in on grades alone."

Blake was never one to give rumors the time of day, having been on the other side of those rumors herself. They hurt at first, but she learned to ignore them. Eventually, they just started to fade into the background and she could never quite keep her attention up long enough to hear what or who they were about.

But, that was a high school of about fifteen hundred kids.

This was a university of ten thousand students. If there was someone who could create this kind of buzz without even being present, it was something that not even Blake could keep from taking interest in.

As she passed by the various students, who all seemed to be having the same conversation, her ears perked up in an unconscious effort to catch any details about this mysterious girl. Much to her own disappointment, everything she heard seemed to be nothing more than garbled mess of "they say"s and "I heard"s. Just people spouting gossip about someone they had never met. However, there was one thing she managed to hear more than once, two words that seemed to pop every now and then, of which seemed to be the only thing every conversation had in common.

"... Ruby Rose..."

It sounded like a stage name, or maybe the name of some kind of lower middle class pub, and if she hadn't heard it more than five times by five different people, she would have just assumed it was part of the rest of the exaggerated stories that had plagued the corridor. Maybe it was nickname given to the enigmatic girl. If so, then she couldn't imagine why.

Just then, all thoughts of whomever this Ruby Rose girl was or could have been perished in the flames of pride and satisfaction that burned within the raven haired girl as she came to a stop in front of a door, the numbers 451 engraved in its center.

She glanced down at the keys given to her by one of the councelors, and read the number imprinted onto them.

451.

She stared back up at the door, a smile forming across her face. With the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning, she hurried to unlock her door and step inside her home for the next four years, pulling her suitcase and carrying her duffel bag along with her. She rushed to close the door behind her, releasing a content sigh as the all the commotion outside became mute as the door clicked shut.

Slowly, she turned around to take in the sight of her wasn't big, really. To her right was a small living room with a simple couch and reasonably size television, with a single coffee table situation between them. To her left was a simple kitchen, complete with a stove, dish washer, microwave, fridge, and a short bar. Right in the middle of both was a hall that led to two separate bedroom, one which would belong to her roommate, whoever that would be, as well as a third door which she assumed to be the bathroom.

It was quaint. Cozy, would be the word she would use.

And she had never been happier.

She practically skipped down the corridor until she reached one of the bedrooms. Inside was a single twin bed, a small desk, and a closet. She peaked into the other room to see that it was identical. Shrugging her shoulders, she stepped into the room, dropping both her suitcase and duffel bag on the floor before allowing her body to flop down onto the mattress. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but at the moment, it felt like she was lying on a cloud.

Here she was, for the first time ever, laying on her bed in her room in her dorm. She had no curfew, no rules outside of her own, and everything that did and ever would happen under this roof would be under her control. She could throw parties or get drunk or do whatever else she wanted, not that she ever would. In fact, Blake was more likely to kick people out of her dorm as well as maintain her innocence of sobriety for as long as possible, however, the fact that she now had that freedom was so incredibly liberating that she momentarily forgot all her responsibilities. Her classes, her grades, food and supplies and all of her other necessities fell to the back of her mind.

At the moment, all she wanted to do was lay there and take it all in.

But, it was the chorus of "Odd's Are" by Barenaked Ladies that brought her out of her stupor. Groaning, she reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out her cellphone. She stared at the I.D., debating on whether or not to answer before letting out a sigh and answering anyway.

"Hello, Sun."

"Hey, Blake. So, yeah, like, how about this campus, right? It's huge! Anyway, I was thinking that, maybe, I don't know, we should meet up today. Talk about our classes and stuff, you know? Explore the rest of campus, maybe?"

Blake glanced around, still debating on whether or not to stay and read a book for the rest of the day.

"C'mon,'' he pleaded. "Classes start in a few days, then you won't want to do anything _ever_. This is the one time I could ever get you outside."

She mulled it over. Sun had a point, no doubt. Even now, she didn't want to leave anwhere. If anything, all she wanted to do was set up her room, read a book, maybe order a pizza and take a nap.

But, she a made promise to her parents that she would at least try to break out of her shell after being on her own. The least she could do was accept a hang out proposal from one of her closest and only friends.

"Fine," she said. "Where do you want to meet?"

She heard an overexcited cheer on the other end. "Awesome. There's a diner just past the right wing. It's right across the street from a park. You know it?"

"Yep. I'll be there in twenty." Not waiting for a reply, she ended the call and returned to laying down, closing her eyes briefly.

When she opened her eyes, she glanced down at the time on her phone and noticed fifteen minutes had passed. Scrambling, she hopped off her bed and grabbed her keys and wallet before running out the door.

Blake didn't take very long to get dressed. Unlike most girls her age, she never bothered with much make up and her outfits usually consisted of simple, easy to move in clothes, quite handy when she was in a hurry. Today, she wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans with a slim hoodie. It was a fifteen minute walk to the meeting point they had set, which would have been fine if she had left on time.

Unlike skirts and high heels, jeans and tennis shoes made it easier for her to run.

As she ran across the park she had seen on the ride in, she slowed her pace untill it was a simple walk as she saw a young boy with blonde hair and a Hawaiian shirt sitting on a bench, hunched over, staring intently at his phone, a somber look on his face. A few seconds later, her phone began ringing. She pulled it out again to see it was Sun, probably wondering where she was at.

She smiled as she answered. "Hello?"

"Heya, Blake," he said, his voice a hundred times chipper than his expression would have lead most to believe. Blake actually thought it was sweet that he would put effort into trying to sound less disappointed than he actually was

"What do you want, Sun?" Blake answered, forcing irritation into her voice.

"O-oh, um, are you, like, late, or something? Or, did something come up?"

Blake grinned. "Yeah. Something did. Sorry."

"Oh, um, okay." Blake felt like she had just stomped on a puppy as she saw the sadness on his face. "Um, what was it?"

"Well," she said, "nothing in particular really. I just couldn't bare the thought of being seen in public with you while you wore that god awful shirt."

She saw him furrow his eyebrows, then glance around suspiciously until his eyes fell on the girl, standing just a couple of feet infront of him. She couldn't suppress the giggle that came up as she saw his face instantly light up.

He hopped off the bench jogged over to me her half way. "Blake! Oh, wow, I thought you were serious about not coming."

Blake waved him off. "The thought did cross my mind," she admitted, "but, how could I just let you wander the streets all by yourself? There are strangers here, you know."

He laughed. "Well, now I have you to protect me."

The two friends made their way down the sidewalk with no exact destination in mind. "It's crazy, though, isn't it?" Sun commented. "The college is like its own city! I mean, there's arcades and malls and parks and stuff. The guys back home would never believe this."

Blake nodded. "I know what you mean. The classes are going to be huge, with hoüw many students there are."

"Yep." He caught his breath, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, speaking of which, you have gotta meet my roommate."

"Oh, yeah? What's he like?"

"He's like the coolest dude ever," Sun said with overly animated motions. "Like, the guy knows kung fu and stuff, but he also loves video games, just like me. Seriously, I thought this place would be filled with a bunch of snobs and rich kids, but he's different. I mean, he is kind of rich. And he's also pretty snobby, but, like, in a good way."

Blake nodded and smiled, content with having Sun do most of the talking. "He sounds a lot like someone else I know."

Sun snorted. "Yeah, sure, but he's also, like, a total hit with the ladies. He's got girls all over him twenty four seven. Not that I don't, cause I do. I mean, I could if I wanted to, but I don't because I..." He seemed to trail off nervously.

Not that she could blame him. Not since she rejected him so many years ago. It was honestly one of the hardest things Blake had ever done. She didn't want to lose him as a friend, but she also didn't really see him in that light. Still, much to her own approval and relief, Sun was a good enough sport to see past that, remaining her one and only loyal friend for as long as she could remember, even if he tried making a move on her every once in a while, and threatened any guys who attempted to do the same.

"So," he said, "what about your roommate?"

Blake shrugged. "Haven't met her yet."

"Are you living by yourself?"

"Oh no. No, there are two bedrooms, and the councelor gave me two sets of keys," Blake explained. "As far as I know, I'm supposed to have a roommate. I just haven't seen her."

"Have you guys talked online at all?"

Blake nodded. "Only a couple of messages, though. She's got a Remnant page and goes by the name of CrescentRose. The only picture she had uploaded was one of her car."

"What kind of car was it?"

She shrugged. "A small one? I don't know anything about cars. She had a skateboard in one of the seats."

"Ah," he said. "She's a skater. Probably a Sedan."

"Nah, it wasn't a truck." Sun gave her a blank stare. "What?"

"You don't know what a Sedan is," he said solemnly. "As smart as you are, I forget how clueless you are when it comes to pretty much everything outside of a book."

She looked away. "I'm still a bit nervous, though."

"Yeah?" He asked. "What about?"

"Well," she said, shifting around, "she's the person I'm going to be living with for the next four years. I don't know what kind of person she is. What if we don't get along? You know I'm bad with people."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever kind of person she is, it could always be worse. You could wind up with that Ruby girl everyones been talking about."

Blake looked at him. "What do you know about her?"

He blinked. "I, uh, well, only what my roommate told me."

"And what did he tell you, exactly?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, there were a lot of rumors going around about her being all crazy and stuff. I guess she used to get into fights and stuff. People say she's some kind of delinquent. Been to jail and everything."

"People say?"

He folded his hands behind his head. "I don't know. It's just what my roommate told me. He said that she's bad news."

Blake pursed her lips. "Okay, but how does everyone in school know about her? I don't care how famous or infamous you are, there are people here from overseas. How do they know about her?"

"Word travels," he answered simply. "People pay millions to get into this school. We're just lucky enough to have gotten in on academics alone. Like you said, people come from the other side of the world to attend, and yet, apparently this criminal delinquent girl is somehow going to be in the same class as us? Makes you wonder how someone wouldn't know."

She saw his point. There were people who worked their whole lives for a chance to get into this school. The staff were all highly acclaimed on an international level, one was even a Nobel prize winning scientist. And graduates of the university were almost gauranteed a six figure career. The inherit knowledge and experience that Beacon graduates carried was so highly valued that nearly every industry in the world would fight to have them.

And yet, apparently, there was a girl who, despite being some kind of felon, had managed to make her way into the same school people would kill to get into. In hindsight, it shouldn't have surprised her that some people would be upset with her attendance.

"But, those are only rumors," Sun said. "Whoever she is, anyone who can have that many rumors about them can't be good news."

Blake remained silent. It seemed no one, not even Sun, had anything good to say about the girl at all. And yet, despite herself, she couldn't stop herself from taking a keen interest in this Ruby girl. She'd rarely given rumors the time of day, and hearing so many about one single person almost made her sympathize with the poor girl.

"I guess we'll see," Blake said.

For the next few hours, the two friends visited the more important parts of campus, including the football field, a huge theatre that seemed to be specifically for school use, as well as the famed library Blake heard so much about, and it took the blonde haired boy a considerable amount of effort and reasoning to get Blake to leave.

The sun began to set, and the time to go home was finally upon them. The two returned to the park where their day had begun and said their goodbyes.

"You sure you're okay to walk alone? It's getting pretty dark," Sun commented.

Blake smiled. "Sun, there is literally a camera on every corner of every street, and the security here is better than the White House. I'm sure I'll be fine."

He laughed. "Yeah, alright. Guess I'll see you later."

Blake nodded and waved goodbye, turning around and walking back to her dorm.

Little did the dimwitted boy know that, during their entire time together, Blake couldn't help but ponder about the mysterious Ruby Rose that seemed to have the entire school on edge. She had to wonder what kind of girl she was. Was she violent? Was she crazy? Did she have some kind of addiction or dangerous habit? Was she a theif? A bully?

From what she'd been told, the answer seemed to be all of the above.

These kinds of thoughts occupied her mind on the whole walk back. As she returned to the entrance of her building, which happened to be a rather large patio with tall, very expensive looking fountain placed dead center in the middle, she noticed that there were still quite a few students out and about, which made her wonder what the curfew was.

She made her way inside the building and up to the third floor. She walked sluggishly down the corridor, the days events finally taking their toll on the teenager. Still there was a sense of eagerness in her every step as she made her way closer to her dorm, a sense that was entirely eviscerated when she finally made it to her door.

Which had been left wide open.

Instantly, her mind went on high alert. For a school this prestigious, the last thing she thought would happen was someone breaking into her dorm!

"You've got to be kidding me," she growled to herself as she barged through the door, slamming it closed behind her. She looked down the hall to see light pouring out of the room opposite of the one she'd chosen. Anger taking lead over her better judgement, she stomped down the hall and pushed the door open roughly.

A girl, just a few inches shorter than herself, stood over a bed. She wore a pair of grey sweats and a white tank top. Her dark hair was cut short, with a streak of red running through her bangs. An opened suitcase rested near the top of the bed and clothes were strewn across the rest of it. The girl wore a large headset, completely drowning out all outside noise, which was probably why she didn't hear Blake come in. She seemed to be listening to music, as she bobbed her head to the beat, still rummaging through a backpack.

"Hey," Blake said, angrily. When she got no answer, she walked over to the girl and tapped her shoulder. "Hey," she said again, this time gaining the girls attention.

The girl turned around, and Blake stopped.

From her features, Blake could tell she was younger than herself, maybe by a year. But, that wasn't the most peculiar thing about her. No, what really startled her was the fact that this girl had the most pristine silver eyes Blake had ever seen in her life.

That, and the girl was admittedly very cute.

On the girls face was a look of innocent surprise. She pulled off her headset, pressing a button on the side of them to silence them at the same time, and face Blake. "Yes?"

Blake, regaining her senses, crossed her arms and glared at the shorter girl. "What are you doing in my dorm and how did you get in here?"

The furrowed her brow, confusion evident on her face before immediately brightening into one of exuberation. "Oh, you must be Blake Belladonna!" She exclaimed.

Blake arched an eyebrow. "Do we know each other?"

The girl thrust out her hand. "We talked online. I'm your roommate!"

Realization dawned on Blake finally as she slowly reached out to grasp the girls hand. "Crescent Rose?" Blake asked.

The girl nodded. "In the flesh. Sorry about the door. I got here a little late and the counselor said she had given you both of our keys. So, I kind of had to pick the lock," she explained with a nervous laugh.

"Oh," Blake said quietly, her anger suddenly being replaced by guilt. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just... the door was open, so I assumed that-"

"That someone just broke in?" The girl finished. "No worries. I understand." She nodded to the wall. "Saw you took that room, so I decided I'd just make myself at home. Oh!" She spun around and reached into her backpack, pulling out a thick, hard cover book. "You said you like to read, right?"

Blake took the book apprehensively. The front and back were dark burgundy color with a black spine, as well as a soft, velvet like texture. On the front, written in long, elegant golden font read _The Last Crusade._

Blake gasped. She glanced up to see the girl beaming at her. "Where did you get this?" She breathed.

"My uncle knows a guy," she said simply. "I told him you like to read. He gave me that book to give to you as a sort of 'ice breaker' present. He said you would like it. Apparently, it's kind of rare."

"Kind of?" Blake repeated. "There's only three copies of it in the entire _world_!" Blake proclaimed. "How did your uncle ever get his hands on this."

The girl just shrugged, her smile never leaving her face. "Dunno. He's weird like that."

Blake stuttered. "I, um, thank you. Thank you very much," she said, hugging the book to her chest. "I didn't get you anything."

The girl laughed, a sound that Blake found quite pleasant. "That's fine," she said. "You can buy me dinner some time." Blake flushed at the statement, but quickly regained her composure as she realized the girl was only joking.

"Right, yeah," she said, struggling to make words. "Sorry about taking the keys. I'll make sure to leave them on the counter out front."

"Gotcha," the girl said as she turned around and continued rummaging through her belongings. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm beat. I like to get up early and go for a jog, but we can get lunch tomorrow if you like. You know, talk roommate business. Set some ground rules, stuff like that?"

It took Blake a moment to realize the girl had finished talking. "Oh, um, yes. Yeah, that would be fine."

The girl grinned. "Great! Well, goodnight, Blake."

Blake returned the smile. "Goodnight... Um... I'm sorry, I don't actually know you're name."

The laughed again. "Oh, right, of course. I haven't told you." Her hand shot up to her head in an over the top, cartoonish salute. "The name's Ruby. Ruby Rose."


	2. Dear Old Shiz

**Okay, so, wow. Man, I know I said be gentle in the last chapter, but damn. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you guys kind of liked the story. Seriously though, the response to this thing has been overwhelmingly positive. I was going to spend this weekend rewatching the entire first season of Glee (be quiet, it's a great show!), but instead, I've spent the majority of the last few days reading and rereading the reviews you guys have left. And because of that, I've spent nearly this entire weekend plotting out the rest of this story.**

 **And, man, now the pressure's really on. Originally, this was just going to be a little side project of mine. Something I did in the mornings before school or the evenings before work just as a distraction. But now, with the ridiculous support you guys have given me, I've devoted myself to this thing. I'm going to try to get at least two chapters every week. I'm so glad to have you guys reading this and I absolutely adore your feedback, good or bad.**

 **As far as this next chapter goes, there's not a whole lot of development. This story is going to be around thirty chapters and it will be a VERY slow build. Also, the T rating my change. Who knows? Depends on how things turn out.**

Blake considered herself a scholar. She was a very smart person, polite and kind, and never condescending. Where she was from, she most often the smartest person in the room, as well as the most reasonable. She treasured her sense of decency and ability to stay calm in situations of distress. While not arrogant by any means, she knew she was a very level headed person, and was prepared to handle whatever college life threw at her.

She was wrong.

And never was that more apparent than when she silently stared at the girl sitting on the other side of the table, happily cutting into her plate of pancakes. Blake hugged herself tightly, the morning chill still sharp enough to bite through her jacket as the events from earlier played in her mind.

The entire previous night, Blake was too nervous confront the girl, so she decided to simply go to sleep and deal with everything the following morning.

Except, she couldn't sleep.

Never mind the fact that she had the single most sought after book in the world sitting on her dresser less than a foot away from her, there was the fact that, just across the hall, was a person who's very name seemed to turn the entire university upside down.

And, on top of all that, she was attractive.

For over a year, Blake had always wondered what kind of roommate she would have. For as long as she could remember, Blake had always been a bit of a loner. Granted, around the start of highschool, she began to break out of her shell a bit by joining a few music classes. Having everyone struggle to form a bar chord gave her class some common ground to bond over.

But, that was only with people whom she interacted with for less than an hour a day. When she thought about sharing an apartment with a total stranger and being tethered to them every night and every morning for four years straight, it made her feel sick. So much so, that she started to do research on it, and she ended up coming across three basic rules.

Rule number one: task managing. Two teenagers in one building meant twice as much garbage, twice as many dishes, and twice as many problem to deal with. You had to decide who did what and when they did it, cycle through responsibilities and make sure all chores are split evenly.

Rule number two: Respect. When it came to privacy or personal business, respect was paramount. But, more than that, understanding the fair use of facilities, food, and living space was a big deal, and being sure not to overstep any boundaries was important in making sure you didn't step on any toes, and it was something that Blake felt particularly satisfied about.

Rule number three: Don't get personally involved.

Blake had read that many roommates became so after being friends for years prior, but for anyone who was meeting their roommates for the first time, being friends was already risky enough. Getting serious with them was a massive no-no for a couple of reasons. First, a romantic relationship was far more likely to go askew than a platonic one, and when those people are stuck in the same living space, the tension can be nearly unbreakable. Second, if things got really serious, the affects could influence whatever long term goals college attendees had. At an age and place where most undergraduates were deciding on what they would do for the rest of their lives, and a personal relationship could change those plans for the worst, effectively ruining ones entire ambition.

This rule was one that Blake had never given much thought. Of course, growing up, she had her childhood crushes. They seemed to slow down come middle school, but she could still remember times when she hold extra long glances at certain kids in class.

Although, while all the other girls in class would stare at the cute boy walking by, in Blake's case, she would be busy staring at the pretty girl who sat quietly in the corner.

And it was because of this peculiarity that Blake had never had a relationship before. She could count all the friends she'd ever made on one hand, not including the thumb. However, it was a combination of her particular preference and her own personal timidness that contributed to her lack of romantic life. As such, Blake had learned to taper her expectations when it came to such relationships. Nowadays, she could barely remember what her last crush even looked like. Yet, she could almost perfectly recall the feeling she had when she saw them.

And it felt uncomfortably similar to what she felt when she met Ruby.

Now, all she could do was stare at her ceiling blankly. Every time she closed her eyes, those shining silver eyes would flash before her own. Every time she would drift off to sleep, that harmonious sound of laughter would bring her right back. And yet, she found the images that came to mind rather enjoyable. The speed at which her heart would beat when she saw them was unfamiliar, but interesting, and she found herself somewhat enjoying.

And that irritated her.

The following eight hours that should have been a peaceful slumber was, instead, an internal war between Blakes sense of reason and the infuriating images of a certain hair dye enthusiast with her mind being the battle field, never quite entering full R.E.M.

It wasn't until the sun shined through her window that she realized that morning had finally come, much to her own irritation. Groaning to herself, knowing it was too late to get anymore 'sleep,' she sat up and walked out of her room and into the kitchen.

She was slightly startled to find that the source of her night's struggle was already awake, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She glanced up at Blake and smiled, causing Blake to feel the same butterflies from before.

"Good morning," she chirped, setting a mug down on the counter. "How do you take yours?"

Blake walked over and took a seat at the bar, lowering her eyes shyly. "Good morning," she replied quietly. "Black is fine."

Ruby nodded and passed her the mug, then returned to the coffee maker to pour herself a cup of her own. "You're up early," she commented. "It's not even seven yet."

Blake wrapped her hands around her mug, letting the warmth of the glass spread satisfyingly through her arms. "Yeah, I, um... Couldn't sleep well."

Ruby frowned, turning around and leaning against the counter. "Well, that's not good. Nervous or something?"

Blake nodded. "Something like," she muttered, taking a sip from her mug. "What about you? What happened to your jog?"

The girl averted her eyes, something Blake didn't let slip. "Well," Ruby said, "Turns out a lot of other people were also up early. Guess I'll just have to find another time to go."

"What? Not a fan of people?" Blake asked.

Ruby smiled. "Something like that." Blake actually laughed, causing Ruby's smile widen. "Say, about that lunch thing," Ruby continued, "what do you say you and I grab some breakfast instead? There's cheap cafe right at the edge of campus. Doens't get a lot of attention. What do you say?"

Blake hesitated. "I... Yeah. Sure. Let me get dressed." Blake scooted off the stool and hurried to her bedroom.

"Make sure to put on a coat," Ruby called. "It's cold in the morning."

Fast forwards about half an hour, and the two girls sat inside of a 'not quite cafe.' In actuality, it was a food truck parked right outside a ten by ten foot living square with several tables situated within it. It would have been more than a bit tight if there were anyone else there, but just as Ruby said, it seemed no one else was desperate enough to got out for food so early in the morning.

And so, Ruby joyfully ate her pancakes while Blake twirled her spoon in her bowl of soup, allowing the warmth to wash over her. Every few minutes, a chill would go up her spine, causing her to stiffen up.

"You were right," Blake commented. "It is cold."

Ruby grinned. "Yep. I'm usually working up a sweat around this time, so it was never a problem."

"And now?"

Ruby rolled her shoulders back, tilted her head and popping her neck as a similar chill ran through her, the gesture pulling the neck of her shirt down just enough to show a little bit of collarbone. And at that moment, Blake was actually glad it was cold. It gave her a good excuse as to why her cheeks were so red.

"Now, I wish we had something to cook back at the kitchen," she said, taking another bite. "I thought about majoring in the culinary arts, but I don't think I'd last long in a professional kitchen."

Blake nodded. "I understand. I'm majoring in English and writing."

"Ah, aiming to be an author, right?"

She blinked. "I, um, yes. How did you know?"

Ruby shrugged. "You just give off that kind of vibe. Quiet, likes to read. My guess is you've got a few short stories, maybe even a novel or two, already written and saved on a laptop somewhere. Am I right?"

Blake gaped. "That's... Never mind." She toyed with her soup in a silence for a few seconds before picking the conversation back up. "What about you? What's your major."

She crossed her arms. "I've got a few things going for me. In fact, if all goes well, I should be out of here in two and a half years."

"Seriously? That means you're here as a second semester sophomore." Ruby beamed at her. Blake let out a breath. "That's... Wow, that's incredible."

Ruby laughed, then took another bite of her food. "So, roommate, are there any ground rules you wanna lay out? My sister said that's important."

Blake blinked, caught off guard by the girl's sudden directness. Was there anything she wanted to make clear? Any boundaries she wanted to set? What did she want her 'roommate' to know about herself?

Blake shook her head. "I'm not quite sure how to go about this. Why don't you start?"

Ruby nodded. "Well, I'll be honest, I'm not too finicky about much. I would talk about parties and drinking and stuff, but you don't really strike me as the type," she said smiling. "To state the obvious, we can trade chores and cleaning duties however you like. Other than that," she leaned forwards, resting on her elbows, "my home is your home. No curfews or any of that, and if you need to borrow anything of mine, feel free to ask. My door will always be open."

Blake nodded, slowly putting her hands on the table and straightening her back. "That's... Very kind of you," she said, earning a smile from the girl. "Well, I'm don't have any hard rules of my own, but I do like some quiet time to read every once in a while."

Ruby nodded. "Keep the noise under control. Got it. Anything else?"

She glanced around, tapping her fingers on the counter nervously. "And I do like my privacy. So, you know, if my door's closed, it's probably because I'm studying or, um-"

Ruby grinned. "Don't bug ya unless it's important. Gotcha."

Blake smiled. "Other than that, I'm okay with trading chores and all."

The shorter girl nodded her head. "Great!" She looked around. The sun had risen into the sky and the small patio had begun to warm up. Blake noticed people starting to walk by and open their windows as the area started waking up.

She also noticed the anxious look on her roommate's face as she stared at the people.

"Well," she said standing up, "it's about time you got back. I saw you didn't really have time to unpack your things." She walked off to the trash can to throw away her garbage.

"Wait," Blake called. "What about you? Are... You coming back?"

She hesitated. "I'll be around later," she said. "I've gotta... Do something. See you in an hour or so."

And with that, she ran off down the street, rounding the corner of a building and disappearing from sight. And, for the next few moments, Blake sat there by herself, staring down her empty styrofoam cup.

Then, she slowly pulled out her phone, went through her contacts and clicked on a name.

"Blake?" Groaned a voice.

"Hey, Sun," she said. "We need to talk."

* * *

"What?" The blonde boy exclaimed.

Blake was curled up in a ball, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head buried in her knees, too depressed to even look up. She sat on the corner of Sun's sofa, a right wing bedroom on the first floor. "Ruby Rose is my roommate."

Sun draped a hand over his eyes, tilting his head back in exasperation. "Man, that's tough."

"What's tough?" Asked another voice from the other room.

Sun scowled. "Nothing, Nep!" He lashed. "Mind your own business."

A tall, very well built boy with a bright blue, outrageous haircut walked into the living room completely shirtless, wearing a towel around his neck. He glared down at Sun, then turned his look on Blake. His face immediately brightened and transformed into an over the top, sly grin. "Well, hello, there, Mademoiselle."

"Neptune, you're not french and that doesn't sound cool! Shut up and go away."

Neptune scoffed. "Well, maybe I wouldn't be able to hear you if you guys talked in _your own room_!"

Sun stood up. "Well, maybe I would if this place had _more than one room_!"

Neptune marched back down the hall, calling out, "It was the last one available!"

Sun ran a frustrated hand through his hair before sitting back down. "Sorry about that. Anyway, how are you feeling about all this."

Blake couldn't help but smile. "It's fine. I thought you guys were getting along."

He groaned. "Yeah, we were. But, that was before I found out he got us an eight hundred square foot studio to live in. We don't even have a bathtub."

Blake giggled, causing Sun to smile. "Sounds tough."

He shrugged. "We make it work, but sometimes it gets annoying. Sometimes I just need some personal space, you know?"

She nodded, stretching out her legs and scooting closer to the boy. "I can relate to that. At least Ruby seems to respect my privacy."

"Speaking of which," he picked back up, "what's she like? This Ruby chick. Is she as bad as everyone says she is?"

Blake's eyes wandered aimlessly. "I... No. She's not. She's really nice, actually," Blake said. "She made me coffee this morning, then took me out to breakfast."

Sun eyed her. "That doesn't sound right. I heard she hates people. Like, really hates people. Like, 'pushes cripples down the stairs' hates people."

"Well, she's not exactly a social butterfly," Blake explained. "But, it's not like she hates people. She's actually really cheerful. She jogs in the mornings, and she has two majors. She's here as a sophomore."

"W-What?" Sun breathed. "How did... But, that's crazy! You're saying that Ruby Rose is coming to Beacon University as a sophmore."

Blake let out a humorless chuckle. "I know. That's what I've been thinking. But, it's true. All those things about her, the rumors and stuff... I just don't see it in her. She's just... Really nice and happy... And pretty."

Sun narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second," he said slowly, causing Blake shrinking inwards, pulling her legs back into her chest. Sun crawled over to her, closing the distance between them. "Blake Belladonna, do you have a crush?"

If there was anyone in the world Blake trusted with her 'secret,' it was Sun Wukong. In fact, he was the first one she had told when she had come to the realization, even before her parents. Far from being disappointed, he was actually the most supportive person she'd ever met. Some part of her even felt sorry for him. She couldn't imagine too many things worse than being rejected with the words "I'm gay." And, yet, he stayed by her side after all these years, and that had earned him a firm place as one of the most important people in her life.

But, sometimes, he could also be the most irritating.

"Blake, you _dog_."

"Shut up!"

He smirked. "And not just anyone, but your _roommate_ , who also happens to be the most infamous girl in school." He laughed. "Man, I was not expecting that."

"Not expecting what?" Asked Neptune, peaking his head around the corner.

"Just that Blake here is having some unlikely issues in the world of romance," Sun explained.

Blake kicked Sun, but Neptune could only smile. "What? Having boy troubles?" He asked. "Well, you're in luck."

Sun eyes widened as if he were hit by a sudden epiphany. "That's it!" He said, hopping to his feet, Blake watching him ruefully. "Neptune here is, like, a romance master!"

"I prefer the term 'guru.'"

Sun walked over and walked over and took Blake's hands in his own, leading her off the couch. "Seriously, Blake. With Neptune's help, you'll be, like, irresistible! You'll be a knock out!"

Neptune flipped his hair in single suave motion. "Don't worry, sweet heart. I'll handle everything from here on out." He put his hands on his hips. "So, who's the lucky boy?"

Blake glanced at Sun, who gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. He's cool." He turned to Neptune with a serious expression. "You'll be cool, right?"

He brought a finger to his lips. "Won't say a word," he confirmed. "So, come on, now. Spill it. What's the name?"

Blake folded her hands behind her back, her feet shuffling nervously. Her eyes wandered around, refusing to make eye contact.

"Ruby Rose," she murmured.


	3. The Wizard and I

**A couple of things. Now that I know the support for this story is so strong, I'm going to be putting a little bit more effort into it. And, so, I feel I should address a few things before I continue.**

 **First off, in direct correlation with your splendid reviews, I will be rewriting amending these chapters A LOT. I've fixed and added a few things to the last two chapters already, I will probably be doing the same with all the future chapters. Once again, I cannot describe how important your feedback is in order for me to become a better writer and deliver a more satisfying story to you guys.**

 **Second, this is more relating to the pacing of this story. As you can see, Cinder will eventually have a part in this story, but right now, I don't have any plans for any characters right now (save for Weiss). As far as Blake's sexuality goes, that not really the direction I'm taking with this. This story will be focusing on her relationship with everyone and her personal college experience and less about the whole 'accepting ones self.' So, if it feels like I skipped over details or didn't give certain plot points the proper amount of attention, remember that this is from BLAKE'S PERSPECTIVE, and so everything gets the amount of attention Blake would give it, and as her character progresses, certain things will be getting more development time than others. But, with all that in mind, if things** ** _still_** **don't feel quite right, feel free to message me or leave a review.**

Upon returning to her dorm, the first thing Blake did was check to see if her roommate had returned yet. Opening the door quietly and keeping her footsteps soft, she quickly scanned the room for any sign of the girl.

After confirming that she had yet to return, Blake quickly made her way to her bedroon, closing and locking the door behind her before walking over to her bed. She huffed a breath and sat down, letting her head fall back in vexation, her conversation with the supposed "love expert" still fresh in her thoughts.

The conversation replayed itself over and over in her head.

"You can't be serious," Neptune said in a distressed tone. "Ruby Rose. Ruby freaking Rose! Do you know what they say about that girl? She's a wackjob! A mean, violent, hoodlum that cheated her way into _our_ school!"

Blake glared at the boy. "I know what everyone says about her, Neptune," she said, putting extra venom into her voice. "But, you have never met her. No one has. She's actually really, really nice and friendly-"

"And cute and cuddly and all sorts fun and innocent!" Neptune finished mockingly. "Look, I'm sure she was smiles when you two went out to eat together, but first impressions are usually false. Take me for example," he gestured to himself. "To the average laborer, I may come off as a young, intelligent, and handsome prodigy with too much class for his own good," he explained, flipping his hair. "But in truth, I'm actually a very humble and earnest child with an honest passion for fashion and beauty."

Blake looked at Sun, who mouthed the words, "Just go with it."

"My point is," Neptune continued, "you can't say you know someone after only meeting them one time."

"And you can't say you know someone after never meeting them at all," Blake retorted.

He shook his head, resting his hands on his hips. "Oh, Blake. Blake, Blake, Blake," he said patronizingly. "You poor, innocent creature. I understand that the heart wants what the heart wants, and that Ruby seems like that perfect way to 'rebel against societal norms,' but take it from me, there are much better ways to express yourself. Why not take up a hobby instead? I could teach you how to do your hair, for example. You _need_ to take care of those dead ends."

"Give it a rest, Neptune," Sun called from the couch. "Don't act like you know her better than anyone else."

Neptune glowered at the blonde before returning his gaze to Blake. "All I'm saying is that Ruby Rose is dangerous, and you should stay away from her."

"And all _I'm_ saying is that, out of everyone in this room, _I'm_ the only one who's _actually talked to her_ ," Blake insisted. Then, her expression fell, and her eyes dropped to the floor. "Besides, I doubt she's even into girls anyway."

Sun scoffed. "Don't say that! Man, woman, transvestite, _anyone_ would be lucky to have you as their girlfriend."

Blake flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Sun."

Neptune let out a loud groan. "You guys don't get it, do you? Ruby is bad news. I'm might not have met her, but I know that every where she goes, bad things follow, okay? Fights break out, teachers lose their jobs, and people go to jail. Those aren't rumors, their facts. Ruby Rose is an accident waiting to happen."

Blake stepped up to Neptune, meeting his eyes. "And how do you know she had anything to with all that, huh? Maybe it was just an odd series of coincidences, or maybe she just lived in a particularly rough neighborhood. I happen to know a thing or two about bad childhoods, unlike you," she said spitefully.

Sun stood up and put a hand on Blake's arm. "Calm down, Blake. He's just concerned is all." He glared at Neptune. "But, he's going to put his personal feelings aside to help you out, _isn't he_?"

Neptune's eyes flicked back and forth between us, before his lowered his head into his hands. "Fine," he moaned. "But, if this comes back to bite you, don't say I didn't warn you."

"See that?" Sun said with a toothy grin. "We got your back."

The memory passed by pleasantly, bringing a smile to Blake's face as she leaned back against the wall of her bedroom. She didn't know how well the advice of the "guru" would work, but considering the fact that he probably had more relationships in the last six months than she had in her entire life, she was willing to at least give it a try.

"First," his words echoed in her head, "you said you went out already to discuss roommate stuff, right? It was strictly business. Invite her out again, but this time, take her somewhere a bit more formal, but nothing too serious."

Blake stared blankly. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. What matters is that you both feel comfortable, some place where you two can relax and just casually get to know each other. Where are you most comfortable at?"

"My room," Blake said flatly.

Neptune pursed his lips. "Okay," he said slowly. "Anywhere else?"

Blake shot a pleading look at Sun, who hesitated. "Um, oh, the library! Blake loves the library."

Neptune gave the two a look of utter disbelief, his mouth going slightly a jar. Then, he just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. That's okay. Listen, you said she's cheerful, right?"

Blake nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Very."

"And you said she's shy?"

"Well, she didn't go jogging because there were too many people, and she took us to the edge of campus to get breakfast, so she obviously doesn't like crowds," Blake offered.

He clapped his hands together. "That's good. We can work with that. Shy and cheerful. Some place that doesn't have a lot of people, but isn't so formal that she has stay all composed and stuff. Any ideas?"

Blake bit her lip in contemplation. She didn't know the campus very well, outside of the places she visited with Sun the other day. And, outside of the library and maybe a few diners, she didn't really enjoy going outside too much, so looking for a place where they would both be comfortable was a particularly challenging endevour.

"What about the bowling alley?" Sun offered. "It's a weekday, so it can't be too busy. It's mostly quiet, except for what they play on the jukebox."

Neptune's eyes lit up. "And they keep the light off, so you can hardly even see people more than a few lanes over," he said excitedly. "It's perfect."

Blake shuffled. "But, I don't know how to bowl."

Her shoulders were suddenly seized by Neptune, who looked her dead in the eyes. "Blake, you have one opportunity to do this. If you make things awkward, you will banished to the acquaintance-zone for all eternity."

"Acquaintance-zone?" She repeated.

"It's one step below the the friend-zone," Sun explained.

"And only one step above the 'weird girl who I talked to once, but she kind of freaked me out and now I can't imagine myself ever talking to her again'-zone," Neptune added. "Now, is that what you want?"

Blake shook her head.

"Good," he said, satisfied, releasing the raven haired girl. "Now, what you're going to do is go back to your dorm and find a half way decent outfit to wear."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing right now?" She asked, gesturing to her t-shirt and jeans.

He arched an eyebrow. "Well, I'm sure the whole 'bumming it out' look might work on some people, but if you're looking to impress someone, especially another _girl_ , you gotta wear something a little more... Vocal."

"Vocal?" She asked skeptically.

He nodded. "Something a little bit more high class. I'm not recommending a fine silk dress or anything, but make it so that she notices that you put a little extra effort in your choice of clothing," he stated. "It tells her that you care about what she thinks, makes her feel like her opinion matters. My suggestion would be to stick with the jeans, nothing ripped, of course. For the top, put on something conservative, but tight fitting. That mean no t-shirts or hoodies," he said in a chastising tone, causing Blake to pout. "Also, wear a scarf."

She blinked. "I don't have a scarf."

He rolled his eyes, then got up and walked down the hall. "Fine. I'll let you borrow one of mine."

Sun frowned. "Aren't scarves, like, for hipsters."

"No!" Neptune said sternly from down the hall. "Hipsters have taken everything from us fashion pioneers. Fedoras, vests, flannels. I will not allow them to take my beloved scarves as well." He reappeared a few seconds later with a long scarf, colored black and dark grey in an inconsistent pattern. "There's a mirror on the right over there," he said.

Blake walked over and allowed him to throw the scarf around her neck, folding expertly over itself before letting the rest hang off the back of her shoulder. She turned to the mirror, and found herself honestly impressed with how much a simple scarf seemed to do for her. It hid most of her neck and collar bone, draping over one of her shoulders and just barely meeting her chin. Somehow, looking at herself, she keep glancing into her own eyes, finding it very difficult to focus on anything else.

"You're very pretty," Neptune said, "but, most people tend to focus on the imperfections of the face when their close, which usually resides around the shape of their jaw. The scarfs job is blur the shape altogether, which makes them fill in the blanks by themselves, tricking them into thinking you're more attractive than you are."

"Like when girls pull the jeans up past their waist to hide their belly fat," Sun pitched in.

"Exactly," Neptune said. "It works fine for ugly people, but for people like us," he pointed at Blake and himself, "it makes us go from 'attractive' to 'divine.' Oldest trick in the book."

Blake touched the scarf gingerly. "I might have to buy this from you."

"Not a chance," he said. "That scarf is worth more than your computer, but you can _borrow_ it. And here." She looked down to see that he was handing her a dark brown handbag. It wasn't much large than a purse, and she didn't really see any practical use for it that her wallet couldn't do much more conveniently. But, she put slung it over her shoulder and return her eyes to the mirror.

"Wow," she breathed.

"I know," Neptune said, clearly pleased with himself. With the just a simple bag over her shoulder, she went from 'shy and flustered teenager' to 'woman on a mission' in an instant. Somehow, it gave her a look of confidence that she had never felt before.

"Dontcha think you guys are getting a little caught up in the whole fashion thing?" Sun asked.

"Forgive him," Neptune said. "He knows not what he speaks. Some may never truly appreciate the infinite empowerment of prevailing taste."

Sun furrowed his brow. "Weren't you on the fence about this whole thing, like, ten minutes ago? What got you all gung-ho about all this?"

Neptune crossed his arms. "Getting girls has never been difficult for me. I could get any girl I wanted. Heck, I could probably snag a few guys if wanted, too. But, helping a girl fall for _another girl_ is a challenge I've never had the chance of exploring. I'm interested to see how all this works out."

Blake smiled. Sure, his motivation for helping might have been entirely skewed and somewhat selfish, but all that mattered to her was the fact that she was getting the help she needed. And with Neptune's help, maybe she could become someone Ruby would fall for. She had an outfit in mind, an address in her phone, and a time picked out.

Now, all I have to do is ask her, she thought as she pulled her suitcase over and poured out all her clothing. It was all folded properly, so there wouldn't be an wrinkles in her clothes. After all, all she had to do was choose the right kind of top. She decided to go with a slim fitting, black long sleeve. As she laid the shirt out flat over her bed, she went over possible ways of asking the girl.

"Hey, Ruby. What do you say we go out for a night of bowling, just the two of us."

"Yo, Ruby. You down for bowling tonight?"

"What's up Ruby. You like bowling? I know a great place down the street."

"Ruby. You. Me. Bowling. Tonight."

She shook her head, knowing that none of those would actually work, not that she'd have the guts to approach her so directly, any way. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and focusing on her plan.

"Hey, Ruby. So, we didn't really get to talk this morning, and I was thinking that maybe we could get to know each other a little better. I heard of this bowling alley that's pretty quiet. I thought that maybe you'd want to check it out with me."

She smiled, satisfied with herself. Although Blake never fooled herself into thinking she was the most confident person in the world, the nervousness she felt as she thought about asking out a girl she liked was so unfamiliar to her. She'd read about heroines falling in love and stressing over whether or not the boy loves them back, but it always seemed so unrealistic to her. And, although getting a girlfriend had been on her to-do list for when she started college, she would never have expected herself to be going for it so soon!

Now that it was finally happening, she wasn't dreading the moment where she approached her girl like she thought she would be. Instead, she actually felt eager. Too eager, almost. The fact that she had to wait until the girl returned was more trouble than anything, and she just wanted to hurry up and ask so she could get her answer. Either a "sure, let's do it" or a "no, I'm not interested." She wanted to know which one it'd be, and she wanted to know right now. If only Ruby would hurry and come back already.

 _Knock knock knock._

Blake leapt off her, swinging a hanger defensively infront of herself. Above her bed, right on the other side of the window, was very target she'd been preparing for all day.

Ruby Rose smiled and waved at her, gesturing for her to come over.

For a second, Blake couldn't move. She put a hand on her chest to find that her heart had started to slow down after nearly popping out of chest. She forced her breath to calm down and walked over to the window. She unlocked it and pulled it aside.

"Ruby?" She asked.

"Heya, Blakey," she greeted. "Mind if I come in?"

Blake stared at her for a moment. "Y-Yeah. Yes. Come in."

Ruby pulled herself up through the window, pushing off so she could land just to the side of the bed instead of on it. As she regain her footing, she stood up straight and smiled again. "Thanks. Don't know how much long I could have held on."

"Ruby, why were you outside my window?" Blake asked, sounding a bit more confrontational than she wanted.

But, Ruby seemed to take no offense. "Well, I was going to come through my window, but I forgot to unlock it. So, I had to go over to yours instead. Sorry about that."

Blake nodded slowly. "It's fine. But, I was more curious about why you decided to come through the window at all."

Ruby averted her eyes, looking like she was having trouble coming up with an answer. "I... Thought it'd be faster?"

"O... Kay," Blake said slowly, deciding not to question the girl further. "Are you okay?"

The girl instantly brightened, putting on that same blindingly bright smile that had haunted Blake for the last twenty four hours. "Yep. One hundred percent!" She walked to the door. "Sorry to have bothered you. I know you like your privacy and all."

Blake watched walk away in silence, knowing how to respond to the situation. Then, memories of her plans shot into her mind. Just as Ruby opened the door and was about to leave, Blake called, "Bowling!"

Ruby stopped and turned around. "... Bowling?"

Blake paused, realizing she'd screwed up her whole preparation speech, she scrambled to explain her mistake. "I was just... Um, bowling... Is fun."

Ruby nodded slowly. "Yeah. It is."

Blake could feel herself quivering, the wave of confidence she was riding into this situation completely dashed by just a few simple words. "Th-th-there's a bowling thing here. At the college. There's one at the college. That way." She lifted an arm and pointed in a general direction, her arm unnaturally stiff.

Ruby watched her intently. "Yeah, I know the one. Are you... Saying you want to go?"

Blake tried to say something, but her voice, apparently, decided to opt out of the rest of the conversation, as she could find it in time to answer. Instead, she vigorously nodded her head.

"Tonight?"

Blake nodded.

For a moment, it seemed all was lost. But, then, Ruby flashed her that same goofy smile that had her enraptured every second they were in the same room together. "Let me take a shower and dry my hair. Should be done in about half an hour."

She left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Blake by herself once more. She slowly backed up until she fell back onto her bed. She stared blankly at the ceiling, an odd reminder of how she started her day. It took a second, but as the sound of running water made it's way beneath Blake's door and to her ears, realization hit her.

She had just asked out her crush.

And her crush had said yes.

Blake fell to her side, wrapping her arms around her legs and smiled wider than she had in a very long time.


	4. Not That Girl

Blake had always imagined what her first date would be like. She'd read hundreds of books featuring coming of age story arcs. Many of them included stories about girls and boys 'discovering' their feelings for each other and usually, in her novels, that led to some particularly... Mature moments.

Just thinking about it brought heat to her face, especially now as she stood next to the girl she'd asked out in the first place. And, while it wasn't a steamy night in the back seat of a car parked on the edge of a cliff, in terms of a first date, the bowling alley wasn't terrible.

As soon as they entered, the room was so dark that it had actually taken the two a few seconds for their eyes to adjust. When they were finally able to see, Blake took note of just how dark it was. There were small pockets place along the ceiling for dim, neon colors light bulbs, with the only real lighting being over the lanes themselves.

It was Ruby who approached the counter first. "Two pairs of shoes, please," she asked. "And, can we have the farthest lane you have?"

The woman at the counter put down a magazine she'd been reading. She had long, wavy caramel colored hair, as well as a light brown long sleeve shirt and a black drivers cap. She gave the girl a disinterested look. "The farthest lane we have is just down there on the left, but it hasn't been working right lately."

Ruby waved her hand. "That's fine. Two games please?"

"Do you have your ID's?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll be paying in cash."

The girl arched an eyebrow, but simply shrugged. She leaned back in her chair and pressed a few button on her computer. "That'll be fifteen fifty-five. What're your sizes?"

Ruby answered her and pulled out her wallet, but Blake was quick to put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Let me," she said.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can-"

"Please?" Blake pleaded. "I want to."

Ruby stared at her for a moment. Then, an appreciative smile spread across her face as she tucked her wallet back into her pocket. "Thanks. I'll pay you back."

"No need," Blake said. "My treat."

Blake handed the girl a twenty as Ruby walked around the corner to get their shoes. As Blake received her change, Ruby came back and handed her a pair of sleek bowling shoes. She glanced nervously at the girl behind the counter, who returned the look with a inquisitive one of her own.

"Wait a second," she said. "Don't I know you from some-"

"Nope!" Ruby said quickly, grabbing Blake's and ushering her from the counter and down towards their lane. Blake would have found it suspicious, but she was too busy thinking about how soft Ruby's hand was as it gripped her own.

The two found their lane and entered their names. Ruby sat down and began tying her shoes. "So," she said, "what brought this on?"

Blake looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Ruby shrugged. "It's just that I didn't take you for the kind of person who liked this kind of stuff. Nice scarf, by the way."

Blake flushed, touching the scarf thoughtfully. "Oh, I, um, thank you," she replied. "I was just thinking that we didn't get to talk much early, you know? And, like, we should go out and... Get to know each other. Because we'll be living together and stuff," she added quickly.

 _God, I'm sounding like Sun._

But, Ruby didn't seem to be bother by her broken sentences, as she just smiled. "Sounds good to me," she said as she walked over to one of the shelves and began shopping for a ball. "What do you want to talk about?"

Blake paused. "Oh, I-I don't know. I was just... Um..."

Ruby laughed as she came back with a bright green ball. "Okay, then, how about this," she said. "We'll each take turns bowling. Every time you make a shot, you have to say something about yourself. But, if you gutter ball anything, then I get to ask you something and you have to answer it. Honestly."

Blake nodded. "That sounds fair."

The shorter returned her nod, turning around and lining up her shot. Then, she took two steps forwards, swinging her arm backwards and, in a smooth motion, she brought her right foot behind her left, bent her knees, and released the ball down the lane intense speed. It hit the pins with a satisfying sound, knocking all but two of them.

She spun around. "Alright, then," she asserted. "I already told you I have two majors. Business and hotel management."

The ball returned to her one the machine, and she picked it up and rolled it once more, skillfully acquiring the spare. She face Blake again. "And my minor is economics."

She sat down right next to Blake, causing Blake to blush once again at their close proximity. She made a 'you're next' gesture towards the lane. Blake hopped off her seat and walked over to the bowling ball Ruby had tossed. She found the holes and lifted it off the machine. She almost fell over in the process and had to use her other hand to catch it.

 _How did she throw this thing?! It's so heavy!_

She chanced a glance behind her to see Ruby staring attentively, a smile plastered on her face. She returned her eyes to the pins and sucked in a breath, determined to make the ball go forwards with the same velocity as it had on Ruby's turn. She lined up her shot, standing directly in front of the lane. Then, she took a few wobbly steps forwards, letting the ball swing down to her side as she saw Ruby do. However, it's weight was so much that it threw her off balance, causing her to stumble as she released it down the isle. Instantly, it made a b-line straight into the gutter less than halfway down the lane.

For a moment, she simply stared blankly at the isle before the sound of Ruby laughing began to register. She turned around to find Ruby covering her mouth and failing terribly at hiding her laughter. "I think you should choose a lighter ball," she stated. "That's a fifteen pounder."

Blake's shoulders slumped, but Ruby walked over to her a patted her on the shoulder. "It's fine," she assured. "Most people our age can't use anything heavier than ten pounds. Here." She walked over to the shelf once more and scanned it briefly. Then, she picked out a dark pink ball and skipped back over to Blake. "Try this one. It's seven pounds."

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Blake morosely took the ball. She bounced it in her hands a few times, testing out it's weight and finding it to be much more comfortable than the other one. She quickly found the holes and returned the lane, lining up her shot once more. An image of Ruby popped into her head as she did her best to emulate her exact movements, taking a few steps forwards and swinging the ball in the same fashion as she had seen Ruby do.

The ball went down the isle with much more speed, much to Blake's own surprise, and hit the middle pin perfectly in it's center. It cut through the pins, knocking all but two down, one on either side of the lane.

Blake shoulder slumped once more. "How could anyone get that?" She asked incredulously.

Ruby walked up to her side. "That's a seven-ten split," she explained. "It's pretty close to impossible to get that, which is why the idea is to _not_ get that." She grinned at Blake's dismay. Blake felt she should have been a bit more insulted, but somehow, Ruby hardly seemed rude at all. In fact, staring at that carefree smile of hers made Blake almost forget the fact that she completely bombed on her first turn.

"So, you caught the gutter," Ruby stated, "which means I can ask you whatever I want." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You've got a few stories on your laptop, right?" Blake nodded, slowly, not knowing where she was going. "Tell me about one."

"What?"

"Tell me the plot of one," Ruby repeated.

Blake stared at her, sudden panic striking her as she mentally filed through her dozens of stories. They weren't bad stories by any means. In fact, Blake objectively thought they were better than most of the things out on the best-selling shelves. She made sure that they were well written, with clever plot points and memorable characters.

However, she also couldn't deny the fact that most of her stories involved more... Explicit material.

"Well," she said slowly. "O-One's about a guy... Who likes a girl... And they... They like each other," she explained rather plainly.

Ruby arched an eyebrow. "Really? That's a pretty basic summary," she commented. "You'll have to let me read it some time."

The rest of the game went pretty similarly, with Blake being the only one to get any gutter balls. Because of this, Blake was not only forced to share quite a bit about herself but, according to the terms of the games, she was also forced to answer whatever questions Ruby had to ask, which included, "Do you watch sports?" and "Where did you get that bag?" and of course, the inevitable, "Got a boyfriend?"

Of all the questions she asked, the only one she was capable of answering with any sense of certainty was "Do you know anybody here?"

Blake had to stop and consider how to answer. "Well," she said, "there's this boy. His name is Sun. He and I grew up together, and he managed to get in. And I met his roommate earlier today. But, other than those two, and you of course, I don't really know anyone."

She couldn't be sure, but as Blake answered the question, she could have sworn she'd seen a tiny glint in the sterling eyes of Ruby, almost a sense of appeasement, like she was glad that Blake didn't know anybody.

And, obviously, Blake never got a chance to ask a question herself. For nearly an hour, Blake's only means of knowing anything about her crush was what she, herself, decided to share. But, Ruby was very accommodating when her turns can around. Although she never shared anything too personal, Blake was still allowed to find out a few unique things about her.

She went to the gym regularly and used to run track in high school. She had a sister, who was currently attending a different college, as well as an uncle who was a private investigator. She was attending Beacon on scholarships and student aid completely on her own, and was aiming to become a business executive.

Somehow, though, Blake still felt Ruby was holding back. Something that didn't surprise, really, as they were still technically strangers who had barely known each other for more than a day. Still, Blake couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Ruby had given off that "full disclosure" kind of feel, and yet, the fact that she was still so conserved around her made her sad.

Despite all of that, Blake found herself having a blast. Ruby had a certain charismatic energy about her that somehow helped Blake relax, despite her nervousness going into all of this. She found herself laughing more often that not, and even though she wasn't doing nearly as well as Ruby, she still felt a bit of a competitive edge do to their little game. In between turns, the two would conversate and share things about each other. Though Blake felt most of her answers were kind of boring, she appreciated how Ruby seemed to pay attention to every single word she said. And, of course, whenever Ruby would share something, Blake would be sure to engrave it into her memory for future reference.

Time seemed to pass by unusually fast. Blake's anxiousness quickly becoming overcome by her utter enjoyment of spending time with her new friend. Ruby would constantly get spares and, occasionally, a strike, but she would celebrate each and every time with a loud cheer and erratic movements and sometimes a goofy dance, which only caused Blake to laugh even more, which in turn, caused Ruby herself to more. At some point, Blake had forgotten that this was technically a date with her crush, and was simply enjoying hanging out with her first friend in a very long time.

"I'm gonna go get something to drink," Blake said as their first game came to an end. "Want anything?"

Ruby walked over to the machine and started setting up the second game. "Just a bottle of water, please."

Blake nodded and made her way towards a vending machine she had seen on her way in, placed right on the other side of the front counter. As she pulled out her wallet and plucked out a few dollars, she a voice whisper, "Hey."

She turned to her left to see the girl from before leaning over the desk, a calm smile on her face, waving polite towards her. "Um, hey," Blake replied.

She rested her elbows on the counter. "Name's Coco," she said.

"Blake," Blake replied.

The girl, Coco nodded. "Howdy, Blake. You enjoying the place?"

Caught slightly off guard, Blake slowly nodded. "It's nice in here so far. I like the lights."

Coco looked around. "Yep," she agreed. "The lights were my idea. For a while, this place was just like all the rest. Bright lights and pop songs and all. Bunch of old teachers would come by here usually. It'd throw off the place's atmosphere, and kids stopped coming by. So, I decided to redecorate a bit, try to get back it's mojo."

"Okay," Blake answered. "Well, it seems fine to me."

"Well, yeah, it does now," she said. "But, if you came in here two months ago, you would've had to deal with wading through a bunch teachers and counselors in the mid-life crisis, sharing old war stories about their jobs. God, just the memory of it makes me cringe."

Blake smiled, not sure of where the conversation was going or why this Coco girl decided to talk to her. "Are you a student here?" Blake asked.

Coco nodded. "Fourth year," she answered. "Doesn't seem very long, but it feels like I've lived here my whole life. Just one of those places I can't see myself leaving. People here are like family to me. You?"

"First year."

She laughed. "Well, that's not obvious at all," she said sarcastically. "But, have you made any friends? You know anyone, yet?"

Blake shrugged. "Well, a friend of mine started here this year with. But, outside of my roommate, I haven't really had a chance to meet anyone new."

Coco tilted her head. "You know, speaking about your roommate," she leaned forward and lowered her voice, "you're talking about that girl you came in here with, right?"

Suddenly feeling very nervous, Blake nodded once more. "Yes. Why?"

"Her name's Ruby Rose, isn't it?"

Even more timidly, Blake nodded again.

Coco's smile turned into a grin. "What's she like? She a morally-bankrupt degenerate like everyone's been saying? Has she tried to get you to do anything 'un-Christian' like? Offer you some strange smelling drinks?"

Blake backed away. "What? No! No, she hasn't done anything like that! And it's rude to talk about people behind their backs, especially about someone you've never-" Blake stopped herself as she noticed Coco chuckling.

"Calm down, Kitty," she said. "I know it's just a bunch of mouth breathing. I was just curious is all. She nice?"

Blake felt taken aback. "Yes," she answered. "She's really nice. And she's polite and thoughtful, and she doesn't judge people. She's a little shy, but that doesn't mean-"

"Woah, woah, chill out, Kitty," she blanched. "I get it. You like her. I was just curious what all the fuss is about. I've never seen a single student turns head like your roommate does since a classmate I had a few years ago. Got any idea how it all started."

Blake hesitated. "No. I... Haven't asked her about them yet."

"Ah," Coco breathed. "So, you don't know if all the rumors are true or not."

Blake narrowed her eyes, then stomped away from the counter, leaving a quietly laughing Coco by herself. Blake was honestly getting sick and tired of people judging her roommate without ever having met her before. Sun did it. Neptune did it. And now, some random counter worker at a bowling alley was doing it.

But, in the back of Blake's mind, she couldn't help but wonder. She had yet to ask or confront Ruby about all the rumors because she didn't want to offend her.

Or maybe, you're afraid that they might not just be rumors.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, she returned to where Ruby was sitting, her hands crossed behind her head as she relaxed in her seat. She turned to Blake as she approached. "Oh, Blake. What happened to the drinks?"

Blake stopped. "Oh, um, they were out," she lied. She didn't want to have to explain that the desk clerk had pissed her off and made her forget. "Is it my turn?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep, got it all set up and everything. This time, try not to tilt your hand. You got a mean curve on you."

Blake faked a smile, nodding. She walked over to the machine and picked up her ball. She found her place in front of the isle and held the ball right in front of her face, lining up her shot once more. Her focus zero'd in on the front pin as she stepped forwards, swinging her arm.

Don't tilt your arm, she chided to herself.

Her arm came up, releasing the ball and allowing its momentum to carry it forward and down the lane. She watched it intently as it rolled in a completely straight line, right down the middle of the lane, colliding with the first pin just to the right of it's center before boring through the rest. Her shot caused a domino effect where the front pins hit the back pins, causing all ten of them to fall to their sides.

Blake jumped up, releasing an uncharacteristically victorious cheer. She spun around to face Ruby, her face brimming with pride and joy at her strike, but was taken aback at the fact that Ruby wasn't watching her.

Instead, Ruby had her head craned in the opposite direction, her eyes fixed on the entrance of the building. Slowly, Blake followed her gaze until it fell upon a large group of teenagers. They all seemed to be the same age as her, and there were maybe six or seven of them. They were all laughing and jeering with each other as they paid for their shoes and made their way to the lane a few feet away from them.

"Ruby?" Blake asked in a worried tone.

"Hmm?" Ruby asked, returning her attention to the game. "Oh, you got a strike! Congratulations!" She once again doned the familiar grin Blake had come to know her for. But, this time, it seemed a bit forced, very much unlike the Ruby she'd known up until this point. "Told you fixing up that tilt would help."

Blake nodded, forcing a smile of her own. "Yeah. Thanks," she mumbled, seating herself in her chair. Ruby went up to her ball and started lining up her shot. Blake watched her from her chair, honestly enjoying herself. However, just as Ruby stepped into the light of the lane, Blake instantly became distracted by the sudden presence of whispers.

She followed the noise with her eyes until they came upon the group from earlier. They had set up their game just two lanes away from Ruby and herself. However, despite the distance, Blake could still watch as they whispered amongst themselves, stealing all too obvious glances at the smaller girl. Blake watched as they a few of them even chanced pointing their fingers and laughing.

Blake returned her attention to see if Ruby had noticed them, but she seemed completely unperturbed by their sudden, irritating presence as she repeated her actions on all the other turns. She took a few confident steps forwards and rolled her ball down the isle with considerable force, and it looked to be one of her best shots of the night.

Until it careened to the left of the pins, barely tapping one on the far edge. For a moment, she only stood there, not turning around and only staring down at the pins. Then, she turned around, a smile still plastered on her face as she walked over and sat down next to Blake.

"Welp, looks like a goofed," she said, happily. "You're up."

Blake stared at her. "It's still your turn."

She shrugged. "You can take it. I think I tweaked my wrist."

Blake watched her patiently for a moment, then slowly stood up to take the girl's turn. She walked over to the machine to pick her ball up. As she searched for the holes, she was once against distracted by the sound laughter from just a few feet away.

Flashing a look upwards, she saw the same kids still snickering. One boy in particular, a well built boy with short brown hair, seemed to take extra amusement from whatever they were talking about. She saw him gesture to his own head, tracing a his finger down his hair in the same shape of Ruby's red streak, then he fell into another horrendous fit of laughter.

Blake turned her gaze to her friend sitting down on the chairs. Her head was held down, and she faced slightly away from the rowdy group. She seemed overly interested in her shoes. Her eyes carried no light in them now.

Blake wasn't quite sure when she started grinding her teeth together, but when she did finally realize, she was also surprised to find that she had picked up Ruby's ball by accident and was currently holding in one hand by her side.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she rolled the ball down the lane, then immediately turned around to take a seat next to her roommate, not bothering to see where the ball went.

"Hey," she said as she approached. "Are you feeling alright?"

Ruby sat up straight, a clearly fake smile shooting up into her face. "Oh, don't worry about me," she said reassuringly. "Just feeling a little sick, is all. Haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."

Blake was going to continue her inquiry, but her attention as instantly captured by something she would never thought anyone was barbaric enough to do.

The sound of a shutter clicking shut, followed by the flash of a bright white light lit up the two girls. Blake watched as Ruby literally flinched as it happened, her body shrinking into a hunch. Suddenly, Blake felt her hands go numb and her mind go blank, all the seething frustration that had been building up all day finally reaching it's boiling point.

"Actually," Ruby said, "I think I'm going back to the dorm. I not feeling so hot after all."

She reached down and started untying her shoes, and Blake was forced to watch as the girl hid her face behind her hair. Her astute hearing manage to pick up the faintest sound of sniffling from the poor form in front of her.

However, it was almost immediately drowned out by the sound of unruly, coarse laughter.

Blake leaned down and tore her shoes off, not bothering to untie them at all. Then, in only her socks, she marched over to the group with vigorous steps. They didn't seem to notice her even as she stopped right in front of them.

"Hey," she called to the large boy.

He turned his head to her, his boorish smile being replaced by a look of annoyance. "What?" He asked in a hulkish tone.

Blake had to put considerable effort into keep her voice under control. "You know, where I'm from, people who laugh and talk about someone behind their backs are known as cowards," she declared. The boy narrowed his eyes, standing up and facing Blake.

"You got something to say to me?" He asked menacingly.

Blake didn't back down. "To your face? Yes. I do. You should take some notes about doing that, instead of just pointing your finger from across the room like some middle school punk."

The boy sneered and stepped up to Black, puffing his chest out and staring down at the dark haired girl. "Apparently, you've never heard the name Winchester before, have you?"

"Can't say I have," Blake confirmed. "Can't say I want to either. In fact, I couldn't care less what your name is. As far as I'm concerned, people like you have no business going to a prestigious school like this and I'm ashamed of the fact that I have to share the same campus as you."

He scoffed. "Oh yeah? That's funny, considering you're hanging out with that freaking gang banger over there!"

Blake bared her teeth. "What the hell do you know?!" She shouted. "Some ignorant jerk like you doesn't have the right to judge anyone in this school, not least my roommate! Just go back to the gym, you moron. Those weights are probably the only things on this campus dumber than you!"

The boy clenched his fists. "Shut your mouth," he growled. "You and that hoodlum bitch don't have a clue who your talking-"

Blake brought her hand up, and swung it swiftly across the boys face. Her eyes her narrowed and her teeth were gritted, her rage finally boiling over the pure, unadulterated ignorance of this boy, and the nerve he had to insult her and her crush!

The boy eyes flared up with anger. "Why you little-"

"Hey," called a voice. Blake and the boy both glanced up to see the girl, Coco, leaning over her desk. She had a stern look on her face, completely unlike her rather careless and even somewhat friendly disposition from earlier. "Do we got a problem here?"

"No," Blake said. "We were just leaving."

Blake walked back over to Ruby, who could only stare at the raven haired girl, her eyes wide with wonder and her jaw hanging slightly ajar. Blake grabbed her hand and pulled her along, tossing their shoes on the counter on their way out. "Thank you," she muttered to Coco.

The clerk gave her a small smile and a wave goodbye as Blake led her friend out of the building by her hand.


	5. What Is This Feeling?

**So, here's the next chapter, right on schedule. And, I'm sorry to say this but, this will be the final chapter of this story.**

 **Kidding! I'm just kidding, don't be so serious! Like I said in the update, you guys have at least three more chapters that are guaranteed to come out over the next week, so for now, you don't need to worry about any hiatus. But, I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous. You see, many of you have been speculating about where this story is going and future events that will happen, especially with what happened with Cardin in the last Chapter. And I'm totally fine with that! It fills me with joy that so many people have taken such an interest in this thing. But, it's also a little bit pressuring. You see, I've had an idea of where I wanna go with this story, and any if you've been paying attention to the chapter titles, you might have a pretty good guess about what's going to happen. If not, well, there's a bit more foreshadowing in this chapter that I hope will help justify some plot points I plan on putting in later down the line.**

 **Basically, I know I started this for myself, but ever since it's gained an audience, I've become really worried about disappointing you guys. I want to meet your expectations, but I also want to tell the story I planned on telling when I started this fic. I take every one of your comments to heart and I still look forward to reading your reviews every day. So, for now, I'm going to try tailoring this story a bit to make it a bit more 'community friendly' instead of just throwing in all my ideas in one giant heap of personal satisfaction. I'll be doing my best to entertain you all on top of putting together my original plot, which means I'll be using a lot more characters and I'll be throwing a lot more plot points than I originally planned, but I think it'll be worth it. You guys have been so amazing in your support for this story, (especially a particularly devoted _FoxyFoxation_ ), and I sincerely hope that my direction for this story will meet all of your expectations. Thanks!**

Night had fallen. The streets and sidewalks around them seemed to have died down, but they would still see an occasional couple taking an evening walk through campus. It seemed most kids were taking advantage of the extremely lenient curfew and the fact that classes didn't start for a few days. Blake would consider herself one such kid, as she had completely lost track of time while hanging out with her friend.

That is, until just a few minutes ago.

Blake led the way down the street, Ruby walking just a foot behind her. Blake was still forcing herself to cool off and get over the anger that she had felt at the bowling alley. She glanced back at Ruby to see the girl following closely behind, her head still held low, staring at the ground, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets.

The two came across a bus stop, one that was placed right next to a street pole, which gave the two enough light see each other much more clearly, which unfortunately allowed Blake to see the faint red streaks that coated the shorter girl's face.

"Ruby," she whispered, "let's sit down for a minute, okay?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she nodded slowly and sat down. Blake did the same, scooting close to the girl. Tentatively, she lifted her arm and placed it over the smaller girls shoulders and pulled her close. Ruby didn't resist. She allowed Blake wrap her arms around her, leaning her head into Blake's chest.

Blake could feel heat rising to her cheeks once more as felt Ruby arms, as well as the firm muscle just beneath the sleeves of her jacket.

 _Dammit, Blake, this is_ not _the time_ , she chastised herself. _This is for Ruby! Not you!_

"Blake?" Ruby murmured.

Blake used her other arm to take Ruby's hand and give it an encouraging squeeze. "I'm right here," she said. "Are you okay?"

Ruby nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Blake smiled. "That's good," she said. "You know, you can't just let people treat you like that. You've got to do something about it, or they'll never stop. Trust me, I know."

Ruby lifted her head, her wide, stunningly resplendent eyes staring deeply into Blake's own. At the moment, Blake had consciously resist the urge to kiss the girl.

 _Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!_

"Yeah, I know," Ruby said, bringing Blake back from her mental dilemma. "But, I just... Couldn't." She smiled up at Blake. "I'm really glad you were there with me. What you did... It meant a lot to me, Blake. Thank you."

Blake returned the girl's smile with a brimming one of her own. However, doubt entered head. Suddenly, the voices of Neptune, Sun, and Coco began filling her mind, and her smile melted into a frown.

 _Ask her._

"Ruby," Blake said slowly. "I... Trust you. I really do. But, that Winchester kid... He called you a gang banger. And, I know he was just an ignorant slob and what he says doesn't mean anything, but... He's not the only one who's been saying those things."

Ruby lowered her head as Blake spoke, no longer willing to make eye contact. She leaned into Blake's chest once again, almost causing Blake to lose her train of thought. For a moment, both girls were silent, until a sad sigh escaped the younger girl's lips.

"You know," she whispered, "this whole time, I was really hoping that, by some unimaginable luck, you hadn't heard any of the rumors. And, earlier, when you said that didn't know anyone here, I thought that.. Maybe... I had a chance to meet someone before they'd heard anything about me."

Blake grimaced. "Everyone's been talking about it," she stated. "Ever since I first came here yesterday, you're pretty all everyone's been talking about."

Ruby let out a woeful laugh. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Ruby, I've heard a lot of things about you," Blake explained. "That you're a criminal. That you came from a nuthouse. That you fight in underground rinks."

Ruby let out a humorless laugh, and Blake heard her sniffle again. "Yeah. That... Sounds about right."

"So," Blake hated asking, "is all of that true?"

Ruby squeezed Blake's hand. "I... It's complicated," she said. "Those rumors have been following me for as long as I can remember. No matter how far I go or what I do, they just... Keep coming back."

She slowly sat up and Blake, somewhat begrudgingly, released the girl and met her eyes. "When did it all start? _How_ did it all start?"

She folded her hands. "I never knew my real dad," she stated, "and my mom got remarried when I was four. The man she married was actually really nice. He had a daughter named Yang. I told you about her."

Blake smiled. "Your sister, right?"

Ruby nodded happily. "Yep. Good 'ole Yang. From that forwards, she always had my back. Protected me from bullies and baked me cookies and tucked me into bed at night." Her smile turned sad. "And my mom. She was the best. Whenever it was cold outside, she would make me hot chocolate with little marshmallows and whipped cream. On warm days, she would walked over a mile, carrying me in a stroller, to the only decent park we had. We would spend all day playing together, chasing each other around. We made up this game called 'Heroes and Halfwits' where she would pretend to be a monster, and I would be the heroic monster hunter that got to save the day."

Her eyes drifted into the sky. "She she would sing. Whenever I was feeling scared or alone, she would let me sit in her lap and she would hum a song. And, when things got really bad, she would sing."

"What was her name," Blake said, still watching the girl carefully. "Your mom. What was her name?"

Ruby closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and holding it. After a few seconds, she released it at, letting her shoulders relax and the tension in her arms disappear. "Summer. Her name was Summer Rose," Ruby answered quietly. "She had the most beautiful voice. With a single whisper, she could silence a whole room. And, when she really got into it, when she was _really_ allowed to shine, she would light the entire city. When I heard her, it was like nothing else in the world mattered. All my fears, my insecurities, my anger, it would just be.. Gone. And I would just... Listen. Her voice was like a safe haven, as long as she would sing, nothing would ever get me."

For a moment, she seemed rather content as she recalled the memories. But, then, she shuddered, as if she were frightened by saying anymore. Blake touched her arm, reminding the girl of her presence and support. Ruby gave her an appreciative smile.

"But, then," she breathed, "my mom left for... Medical reasons. No one ever told me anything. They just said she was sick and had to get better. But, even so, my dad managed to get me into a pretty high class school, just outside the city limits,' she continued. "For a while, things were great. I was making friends, I had a dad and a sister who loved me, and everything seemed... _Normal_." Her smile melted into an expression of such sadness that Blake had to resist from shuddering herself.

"What happened?"

Ruby took a deep breath before continuing. "It was my mom. I was eight years old when my dad told me it was about time I visited her. He checked me out of school early that day, and he drove me to this local mental health hospital. That's where I met her."

Blake leaned close. "Your mom?"

Ruby nodded slowly.

As gently as she could, she wrapped her hand around Ruby's once more. "What was wrong with her?"

It looked like she had momentarily forgotten how to talk, as Ruby opened her mouth only for nothing more than several shallow breaths to come out. She swallowed, making an obvious effort to keep her composure. "Early onset dementia," she stated. "When we saw her, she thought I was... I..." Her eyes began to tear up, and her hands clenched into fists.

"It's alright," Blake said quickly. "You don't have to-"

Ruby lifted her hand up, silencing the girl. "No, I... I want to tell you... If you'll listen..."

Blake faced the girl, lifting one leg up onto the bench. "Of course. I'm right here."

Smiling, wiping away tears, Ruby pressed on. "She thought I was a stranger," she finished. "It'd been nearly two and a half years since I'd seen her, and I was so excited to meet her again. I thought of all the things I would tell her. About school, about Yang and I. But, when she saw me, she... Didn't recognize me. To her, her daughter was just a five year old, shy little girl. She didn't... She couldn't..."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the girl broke down, her face falling into her hands. Once again, Blake moved close to comfort to poor, sobbing girl, her own heart on the edge of falling into pieces as she watched the normally upbeat and cheerful roommate weep in her arms.

"Shh, shh, shh," Blake whispered. "It's alright. I'm here for you. I'm here for you."

Slowly, after a few seconds, the crying stopped, but Ruby didn't lift her head.

"I was devastated," she mumbled. "I ran out of the hospital and to my dad's car. But," she sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Someone from my school saw me leaving the place. And, the next day, when I went to school, everyone started talking about how I was at the 'loony-bin'. In that same week, they figured out that I lived in the Bronx area of the city, and rumors about me being some kind of poor, degenerate started going around. One day, some kid saw me walking down the street and started saying all kinds of terrible things, and my sister beat him up. He told all the other kids that it was _me_ , and rumors about me being a violent criminal became popular. Coupled with the fact that my uncle was a private investigator, and his job was to go into rough parts of the city and ask weird questions, people just started assuming the worst about me."

And that was it.

All the rumors, all the gossip, it all had an origin. It all had a _reason_. Everything she had heard, everything everyone said, they were no more than exaggerated and downright fabricated myths that people had conjured up based on a deplorable amount of information on a girl they'd never met.

"Did you ever try to explain yourself?" Blake asked. "You know, show them that you weren't some kind of thug?"

"I tried," she answered. "I really did, but no one would ever listen. They would take one look at me, see that I was from a poor neighborhood or that I didn't have a mom and they immediately jump to the worst conclusions. There were no room for explanations. My sister always tried to stick up for me, but that would usually just end up leaving her as an outcast, too. And my dad, he..." She stopped, her breath briefly getting caught in her throat. "He flew to Vegas a few years ago."

Blake furrowed her brow. "And you haven't seen him since?"

Ruby lifted her head to meet Blake's gaze, a sad smile spreading across her face as she slowly shook her head. "So, I did the only thing I knew how to do," she said. "I ran. I saved up money, got a few scholarships and applied for Beacon Academy's School for the Gifted. It was a long shot and I never thought I would actually get in, but..." She waved her arms at their surroundings, forcing a laugh. "Here I am."

"Ruby," Blake said, "that's terrible. After all these years, you've been... All alone?"

Ruby nodded her head. "When I came here, I did everything I could to keep from being recognized. I cut my hair, dyed it, and even changed my profile name. But, still, I knew people would know. About me. About the rumors. I knew that, even here, all those stories... They would be here, too."

Blake's eyes widened. "Is that why you were late the first night here? You were waiting for everyone to leave." Ruby nodded again. "And that's why you didn't want to jog this morning. And why you came through my window!"

She chuckled. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Blake shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. I didn't mind at all, and I certainly don't mind now. I probably would've done the same thing. But, still," she sighed, "I'm glad. Honestly, I was a little bit scared of you after everything I'd heard, but now I'm really glad they're just rumors."

Ruby averted her eyes. "Yeah. Just rumors," she murmured.

Blake blinked, leaning in close. "They _are_ just rumors, right? You weren't really an underground fighter, right?"

The shorter girl actually laughed, which had much more life in it than before, much to Blake's relief. "No," she said. "I'm not an underground fighter. But, I haven't exactly had a perfectly clean record."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she said, her shoulder slumping, "there were a few times in my life where things just became... Too much. It didn't happen often, but when it did... People got hurt."

Blake's eyes widened. "Ruby, you didn't..." She glanced around quickly before significantly lowering her voice. "You didn't _kill_ anyone, did you?"

Once again, Ruby released a genuine laugh, highly entertained by Blake's naivete. "No, Blake, of course I've never done that. I've just been in a few scraps here and there. Nothing serious, and no one ever _died_."

Blake released a sigh of relief. "Sorry. It's just... When you say people got hurt, you mean you beat them up?"

She shuffled. "I never went looking for fights, if that's what your asking," she stated, a tad bit defensively. "But, I had to draw a line. It hurt when people talked about me, but it was something I could ignore. When people decided to get a little more... _Physical_ , I sometimes couldn't stop myself from letting loose a little bit."

The dark haired girl grimaced. "Letting loose?" She repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

She felt terrible asking, but what Ruby said had struck a chord with her. Ruby obviously felt uncomfortable with the question, as she twirled her fingers in her lap and stared at the ground. "I learned how to handle the names and the labels," she stated. "But, occasionally, there would always be one person to take it just a step too far. The worst case was..." She trailed off, not finishing her sentence.

"What'd you do?" Blake asked, dreading the answer.

"There was this girl," Ruby explained. "Everyday, she would wait for me to walk through the door, and she would say the most horrible things. Things about me, about my sister, about the rest of my family. And one day, she said something that I... I couldn't let stand."

"What happened?"

"I waited," the girl stated simply. "I never once said anything back. I never told a teacher or a counselor. I never even asked her to stop. I just waited. I waited until she decided that just _saying_ mean things wasn't enough. And, after three months of waiting patiently, taking all her insults and disrespect, I was finally given an opportunity."

Blake swallowed. "An opportunity for what?"

Slowly, Ruby met the taller girl's eyes. "Revenge," she answered. "The final bell rang, and I was on my way home when the girl followed me. She waited until we were off school grounds, then she confronted me. She backed me up into a dark alley where her and her two friends were waiting. I wasn't scared, though."

She lowered her head and folded her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. "I was eager," she muttered, her voice overflowing with guilt. "I was waiting, no, I was _praying_ they would do something to me. Anything at all. I just needed an excuse. And they gave it to me."

"Ruby," Blake said cautiously. "Tell me what happened."

Ruby refused to look up. "She put her hands on me. She shoved me. And I... Put my hands on her... And her friends... And I couldn't stop myself. I was just so full of... of _rage_!" She leaned back, letting her head drop backwards on the bench. "I managed to get out of going to jail for assault by pleading self defense, but I was expelled from the school. That's when I applied for this place, and that's why I never thought they would let me in."

"That's when you applied?" Blake repeated, the wheels in her head turning. "Wait, that means that must have happened just a few months ago."

"Four months, to be exact," Ruby declared. "I was going to attend the same college as my sister before the... Incident. After what happened, I had no where to go and nothing to do with my life. So, even though it was a long shot, I put my application in for this school... And they said yes."

She let out a breath, an actual smile spreading across her face as she sat up to face Blake. "I've never told anyone this. I've... Never had the chance to. You're the first person who's ever listened."

Blake, still somewhat taken back by Ruby's story, gave Ruby a smile of her own. "Of course, Ruby," she said. "To be honest, I've never really had many friends before either. Outside of Sun, I don't really talk to anyone." Her smile turned confident and put a hand to her chest. "But, I'm your roommate now, and if we're going to spend the next four years together, we should be able to trust each other, right?"

Ruby's lip quivered and her body shook slightly, and for a moment, Blake thought she had said something wrong. Then, Ruby lurched forwards, wrapping her arms around Blake's neck and squeezed tightly. "Thank you," she whispered into the girl's ear.

Blake, her heart nearly beating out of her chest, returned the hug gratefully. "I-I-It's no problem," she said. "I'm happy to be here."

After a few blissful moments, Ruby released her hold of Blake, much to Blake's personal disappointment. "Well, we should probably be getting back to the room. It's getting late, and I'm a little worn out."

Blake nodded. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

"So, what you're saying is, the scarf worked?"

After the previous nights events, Ruby and Blake went back to their rooms. They wished each other a goodnight and retreated to their separate bedrooms. Ruby had presumably been tired enough to go straight to sleep.

Blake, on the other hand, was once again stuck in futile battle against the ceaseless tide of emotions that bombarded her thoughts. Non-stop images of Ruby flooded her mind. Every toss and turn reminded her of the wonderful warmth of Ruby's chest pressing against her own, the glorious tenderness of her hands, and the addictive smoothness of her skin. Although Blake was entirely aware of the fact that Ruby was in an incredibly vulnerable state when the two embraced, her control over her imagination had dwindled to nearly non-existence as the memories made their way into her subconscious.

And thus, she was forced into another excruciating night of a dreamless slumber for the better part of eight hours. Before she knew it, the sunlight was peaking through her window, and the events of the night before seemed like a far away fantasy that was too good to be true, and she was entirely ready to spend the rest of day in bed so she continue living in that fantasy.

Instead, she was spending her morning at the home of a particularly annoying fashion artist.

Once again, she found herself sitting on the couch along with her friend, Sun, as Neptune stood just off to the side, leaning against the wall. He wore a tight black muscle shirt with a thick, off-white scarf hanging around his neck and falling down to his waist. A pair of caramel sun glasses covered his eyes, despite them being inside.

She found his appearance downright ridiculous, and probably would have laughed at it if she didn't think he would take it personally.

Or, maybe, if he would stop talking for a _just a second_.

"What did she say about the bag?" He asked. "Did she like it? She liked it, didn't she?"

"Give it a rest, Neptune," Sun called, sitting on the couch playing some video game with giant robots. "Can't you see she's tired? Especially after Ruby went and spilled her heart out to her."

Neptune didn't seem to hear his roommate, as he simply crossed his arms and grinned madly at the dark haired girl sitting on the opposite side of the couch. "Nice choice with the long-sleeve, by the way. Personally, I would have gone with a mock neck skivvy, most likely with a horizontal striped pattern. You know, they say horizontal stripes have a negative effect on your figure, but if you frill the bottom-"

"She liked the scarf!" Blake groaned, desperate to get the boy to stop talking.

Neptune grinned brightly with pride. "Oh, of course she did. Why wouldn't she? It was a Vehemian secondary print straight from the Middle East. If she didn't like it, then I'd be certain that she had no place in this school whatsoever. So, when is the next date?"

Both Blake and Sun froze and stared at the blue haired boy. "What?" Blake asked.

He arched an eyebrow. "You _did_ say you guys hit it off and that your date went really well, didn't you?"

Blake felt aghast. "W-W-What are you talking about?!"

Neptune rolled his eyes. "You said you like this girl, right?"

"Y-Yeah, but, we only went out bowling!" She said frankly. "And it didn't exactly end well."

"It ended with her crying in your arms," he stated. "It literally could not have ended better."

"Well, I mean, that was only on the bench," she said quietly. "And it was only for a few minutes. She still walked herself home and went to be by herself and-"

"Look, the point is," Neptune interrupted, "you officially have a better understanding of her than anyone else in this school. As far as I'm concerned, if you didn't have a shot with her before, you do now."

"But, that thing at the bowling alley was just luck," she said. "I still don't know what she's into or her favorite places to go to or what her hobbies or what she-"

Sun cursed out loud and toss his controller to the floor, the television screen showing a robot exploding with the words "Killed by Jony0nTHEsp0t" flashing over the images. He crossed his legs and leaned back in the corner of the couch, glaring at the fashion enthusiast. "You guys do understand that you're talking about taking advantage of a vulnerable girl who's never had a friend before, right?"

Blake paled as his words sank in. She curled her legs in and hugged her knees. "Oh, God, you're right," she breathed. "I'm so occupied with my own feelings that I've barely thought about what kind of affect I'm having on _her_." She clutched her head and groaned again. "I'm such a terrible person."

Sun patted her on the back. "No, Blake, you're not. You're just a little... Over excited. It's totally understandable that'd you'd be focused on your guys' relationship."

Neptune sat down on the arm of the couch. "Regardless, if you want to make any headway with this girl, you have to be dedicated. You only just taken your first step out of the Acquaintance-zone. If you don't pursue this relationship with all your might, it will all too easy for you fall back into the previous state."

Blake eyed the boy. "So, what do you suggest, 'O Great Love Expert?"

"Love Guru," he corrected. "As of right now, you have completed phase one of Operation Flying South."

"Flying South?"

"He means turning Ruby gay," Sun translated, causing Blake gape and turn an impressive shade of red.

"First off, you made a decent point earlier," Neptune continued, ignoring the girl's reaction. "Outside of being the only person she can talk to, do you two have anything in common at all?"

Blake swallowed, regaining her composure. "I-I don't know. She said she used to run track a-and she can lift a fifteen pound bowling ball."

"So she's fit?"

Blake's face slipped into a smirk. "Oh, yes, she is."

"Hey, hey, stay with us," Sun harped, snapping his fingers in front of her face. "You also said you saw her with a skateboard, right? In her picture thing?"

Blake stiffened. "R-Right. Yeah. On her online profile, she uploaded a picture of her truck. There was a skateboard in it."

"It was a Sedan," Sun muttered.

Neptune clapped his hands. "Perfect!" He said. "I can see it now. Later today, you're going to go out for a simple 'friendly' lunch date. You're going to have a nice, 'friendly' conversation where you're going to find out as much as you possibly can without prying. Then, once you're finished, you're going to 'coincidentally' come across the small skate park just north of here."

Blake frowned. "I don't know. She might enjoy it, but I don't know how to skate. I'll just be sitting there watching her."

Neptune smiled. "That's the best part! You see, you're going to go in there a blubbering mess, and you're going to be so pathetically bad that she'll have no choice but to help you."

She glared at him. "Gee. Sounds like a full proof plan."

He leaned down close, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Think about it. You're on your skateboard, right? But, oh no, you lose your balance and fall over. But, then, just before you hit the ground, there she is. She catches you in her arms. Now, for the entirely innocent sake of keeping you from falling, you to are now holding onto each other in a completely 'friendly', non-flirty way."

Blake stared into space as her imagination put pictures to his words. She pictured Ruby wearing a skaters torn up t-shirt with a cool backwards hat, and she pictured herself sitting on the floor after having fell. She imagined Ruby smiling down at her, then chivalrously bending down to take the girl gently by the hand, the two staring directly into each other's eyes as Ruby's hand slowly drifts towards Blake's jaw, pulling her close. She closes her eyes and feels the warm breath of crimson wash over her as their lips finally meet.

"Hey. _Hey_!" Sun called, tearing Blake out of her daze. "You're kissing Neptune's scarf."

Blake opened her eyes to find her hands rightly gripped around Neptune's scarf, pressing her lips against it's hem. Her eyes flashed upwards to see it's owner giving her awkward look.

She released the scarf instantly. Slowly, Neptune stood up straight, coughing. "Right, well, you get the picture," he said, staring down at his scarf with a sad expression. "You've already cemented yourself in this girl's life, but now, you have to push it further if you don't want to get bounced right back to square one. Now, what are you going to do?"

Blake's eyes hardened. She stood up abruptly off the couch. "I'm going to ask Ruby out on another date," she said with astute confidence. "And I'm going to do it right now."

Neptune nodded his head proudly. "Perfect," he said. "I'll prepare an outfit." He turned around to go down the hall only to stop and crane his neck backwards. "Oh, and Blake?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't every drool on my scarf again."

 **'Kay, so, I've grown very fond of Neptune's character, at least, with the personality I wrote for him. I know this is supposed to be Ladybug fic, but Neptune is just so much fun to write. Same with Clueless Blake. I enjoy writing both of them, but I promise, starting with the next chapter, there will be a lot more time dedicated to developing the Ladybug relationship. Which, unfortunately, means less Neptune. Of course, he'll still pop in every now and then for some fashion advice, but from here on out, it's going to be Blake and Ruby that are the story's focus, with some help from a certain banana loving buddy of Blake's.**

 **Next Chapter will be out Sunday morning and I can't wait to read your responses!**


	6. One-Two-Three

**Okay, Bundy. You've got some 'splaining to do.**

 **Okay, yes, I admit, I may have strayed from my uploading schedule. Valentine's Day is coming up, which means that I was slammed with more hours at my job than usual. Lots of stuff to stock, and most of it's nothing but heart shaped candy and romantic Valentines cards and pink stuff animals. Nothing but reminders of that fact that I've been single for the better part of a year and I'm putting things on shelves at three a.m. in the morning.**

 **But, enough about me, let's talk about the story. I'm truly sorry to admit that I may have been a bit preemptive in the whole 'every other day' thing. Totally forgot the holidays coming up. Anyway, with work and classes, I'm a bit swamped at the moment, and chances are I won't be able to keep up with the schedule I made in the 'Update.' But, once upon a time, I** ** _did_** **say that I would be able to upload at least twice a week, and right now, that's still looking possible. So, for the time being, all I can say is that I'll be uploading as frequently as possible, and while I won't be able to keep up with the schedule from before, I can at least try to get out two chapters every week, which borders on about ten thousand words.**

 **Thank you all for your continued support and patience.**

Blake walked down the hallway leading to her dorm with a slight skip in her step, excited at the idea of spending another day hanging out with her roommate. There were several other students in the hall, all carrying there own conversations of seemingly unique topics. But, as she passed them, she couldn't help but notice the kids glancing her way, giving her odd stares before whispering something to their partner.

Before Blake could put too much thought into it, the intercoms placed along the ceiling of the hall beeped, and a rather jolly sounding voice filled the corridor, gaining the attention of everyone.

"Greetings, students of Beacon University," it proclaimed. "This is Professor Port speaking, and it is my great pleasure to announce that in one month's time, we will be holding our annual Beacon University First Year Talent Show! We encourage you all to attend our auditions this Friday! I would also like to announce that, due to unfortunate circumstances, classes will not begin until Wednesday of next week. We are sincerely sorry for this sudden rescheduling, but we hope you enjoy the extra time off!"

The intercom clicked off. Blake knew that the school held an two talent shows every year for the freshmen as a means to help them be better accepted. It was a good sentiment, but Blake personally had no interest in performing, or even seeing, it.

Though, as the idea of spending a little extra time with Ruby entered her mind, she felt a slow smile creep over her face.

As she made it to her room, she had to take a breath before entering, preparing herself to initiate the dubious plan she and Neptune had come up with just thirty minutes prior.

"It's not scheming," Neptune had said defensively. "It's not different than flirting, really. I am simply trying to give Blake the best opportunity to make the greatest possible impression on Ruby so to gain her interest and potentially start a relationship with her."

"You sound like an evil villain from a superhero movie right before they go all Green Goblin," Sun commented.

Neptune rolled his eyes. "Anyway, the goal is to get you two to share mutual trust," he said to Blake. "She's already confided in you, which means that we have to create a scenario that will show her that you trust her just as much as she trusts you."

Blake nodded. "We're going to go skating, and when she sees how hopeless I am, she's going to _have_ to help me by holding my hand and waist to make sure I don't fall down," she stated with a satisfied smile. Then, a thought occurred to her that poked a hole in their plan. "Wait, how am I supposed to ask her out?"

"Well, I'm no expert, I would imagine using your words would be the most convenient method, though if she prefers sign language or messenger pigeon, those are applicable as well," Neptune snarked.

"That's not what I mean," Blake retorted. "We just went out yesterday. If I just walk up to her and ask 'Hey, I've never skated before in my life, so let's go check out this skate park across campus!' Do you have any idea how needy that makes me sound?"

"Well, it wouldn't be far from the truth," Neptune remarked. "But, you're not wrong. So, we have to find a way to set this whole plan into motion."

"Sounds pretty Gobliny to me," Sun threw in.

Blake suddenly lit up, raising a finger as an idea popped into her head. "I could just ask her out to lunch! We haven't gone shopping yet, so it's not like it would be too weird, right?"

Neptune smiled. "There's a pizza parlor right across the street from the skate park," he said. "It'll be perfect. You're going to invite her out for a bite to eat, and as you do so, you're going to 'coincidentally' come across the skate park, where you'll tell her that you've always wanted to learn how to skate but never had the chance."

"And then she'll so happy that she and her first friend in college now have something to bond over," Blake continued, "that she won't even hesitate to visit. That's when I can have my romantic moment alone with her."

"Lime Goblin," Sun called suspiciously.

Neptune snapped his fingers. "Almost forgot," he said. "For your outfit, my advice would be to go with a with a bit more torpidity. I have a dark navy blue flannel you can borrow. Do you have a white shirt?"

Blake shook her head.

He sighed. "Fine, you can borrow one of mine, too. For your pants, I suggest something slimming. You're going to be skating today, so you need to look casual, but fashionable at the same time. For added effect, you may also choose to include a beanie."

Blake nodded, but then nervously started shifting in her seat. "Hey, Neptune, about this skate park, it's not going to be too crowded, will it? She has a bad habit of... Attracting unwanted attention."

He waved a hand. "Don't worry, the skate park is indoors and it's behind a huge musical arts building, so it doesn't get a lot of publicity. It'll be perfect for you guys. I've already made a call to make sure it's open."

Blake grinned. "That's perfect! Indoors means private."

"And private means personal."

"And personal means success!"

Sun clapped his hands. "Green Goblin, we got there!"

Neptune tossed her a handful of clothes. "All that's left is for you to ask her out. Be subtle or you'll sound needy. Now got get her girl!"

Blake caught the clothes, nodding her head and marching out of the door.

"What's darker than green?" Sun asked aloud. "Jade? Jade Goblin? Is that where we are now?"

Blake quickly washed the memory of the conversation out of her head and focused solely on the task at hand.

 _Date number two, Blake. You can do this._

Blake sucked in a breath and pushed open the door. Immediately, she looked around the room, checking for any sign of movement. The living room had been entirely untouched since this morning and all seemed quiet.

Quietly, she stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her and tip toeing down the hallway. Ruby's door was closed, but light streamed out from underneath it, a decent sign that she was awake.

Swallowing, she raised her hand, getting ready to knock.

But, then, she stopped.

Just like before, doubt invaded her mind like a World War Two zeppelin, bringing with it an entire platoon of apprehension and dubiety. She recalled their conversation from the morning before, when it was Blake herself that mentioned the whole 'mind your own business' clause. If she were to be the first one to break their arrangement so soon, there'd be no telling what kind of impression she would let off.

 _Be subtle or you'll sound needy_ , echoed the words of Neptune.

Blake shook her head. She straightened her back and hardened her eyes. She made a firm fist and held it just over the door, bracing herself.

 _One three, Blake. One..._

She bit her lip.

 _Two..._

She felt her toes curl in her shoes.

 _Thr-_

The door swung open, and Ruby Rose, wearing a simple grey hoodie and a pair of dark skinny jeans, exited the room with enough speed to nearly charge right through the dark haired girl. She managed to stop just an inch short of colliding with her roommate, and stared up at her with mild surprise.

"Oh, hi Blake," she said.

Blake lowered her hand and took a single step back. "H-Hey, Ruby."

Ruby smiled. "I was actually just looking for you. I was wondering if-"

"Do you want to go to lunch with me?" Blake burst.

Ruby stopped and hesitated before smiling again. "Yes. I was actually about to ask you," she said. "I was hoping you were free today, but I haven't seen you all morning."

"Oh, I'm free. I'm _totally_ free!" She assured.

 _Dammit, Sun._

Ruby grinned. "Cool. The food truck from earlier is serving pork sliders today."

"Actually," Blake interjected. "I was thinking we go somewhere more... Refined, today," she said. "There's a pizza parlor I know of. It's quiet and doesn't get a lot of customers. What do you think?"

Ruby's eyes shined even brighter than before. "I'd love to," she said. "But, only if I get to pay."

Blake eyed her. "Fine. But, only this once. Let me go get dressed."

Within minutes, Blake had found herself a more than acceptable outfit, keeping in mind Neptune's suggestions, which consisted of a white long sleeve underneath a dark, navy blue flannel coupled with a pair of slim fitting black skinny jeans and converse. To top it all off, she made sure to include a light grey beanie, all of which were currently being borrowed from Neptune.

 _He might be annoying_ , Blake thought, _but he definitely knows how to make me look good._

Blake exited the room to see Ruby sitting patiently on the arm of their couch, her hands buried in her jacket pockets. As Blake closed the door, Ruby looked up at her, her eyes widening in slight shock. "Oh, wow," she said. "Blake, you look... Good."

Blake blushed. "Thank you," she said. "We should hurry before the streets get too crowded."

The two made their way out of their dorm building and onto the sidewalks of Beacon University. As they walked side by side, Blake couldn't help but revel in the fact that she was on, not her first, but her second ever date with a romantic interest, which was something that she had only ever read about in books and seen in silly romantic comedies.

After roughly about half an hour, the two finally found their way to a small building lined with glass windows, as well as a sign showing a smiling slice of pizza eating another, smaller slice of pizza, a concept which Blake for some reason found rather bizarre.

But, then, out of the corner of her eye, Blake caught sight of a much larger building. It was only a single story, but it had to be several thousands of square feet as it spanned an enormous area.

Blake smiled. "Oh, look at that!" She said, pointing at the build and doing her best to emulate excitement.

Ruby looked to where Blake was pointing. "It looks like a skate park," she noted.

Blake nodded. "Yeah, come on," she urged. "I've always wanted to learn how to skate. You should teach me!"

"Oh, but, what about the-"

Before Ruby could protest, Blake had already started her way over to the building, forcing Ruby to follow suit. Blake quickly stepped into through the heavy, metal double doors and instantly took note of her surroundings.

Although the building was only a story off the ground from the outside, on the inside, the ceiling was about twelve feet upwards. On top of that, the whole inside actually went down a story, so that it was placed closer to ten feet below the ground outside, with a small flight of stairs right on the other side of the entrance leading down to the front desk. The whole lobby was cut off by dark black walls that reflected the tinted yellow lighting to give the place a rather vintage feel.

At the front desk was a young girl with emerald color hair hidden beneath a purple hoodie as well as double black stripes on her cheeks. She leaned over the desk, playing on her phone. But, as soon as she saw Ruby and Blake, she instantly straightened up and rushed to hide her phone.

"Hello, there," she greeted. "Are you two interested purchasing anything?"

Blake smiled. "Not really," she answered. "If we could, we'd like to rent some gear and two skateboards, please."

The girl nodded. "Sure thing. Let me get you set up."

The girl disappeared in some closet behind her desk. Blake waited patiently at the desk as Ruby walked up to stand right next to her. "You know," she said, "not that I mind going skating, but maybe next time, warn me before you take off somewhere."

Blake's smile disappeared, and her expression was instantly replaced by one of horror. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ruby. I just saw this place and I thought we-"

She was interrupted by Ruby's laugh. "Chill out, Blake," she said. "You need to lighten up a bit."

Blake looked away, not wanting Ruby to see her face for the moment. Fortunately, the green haired girl, followed by a boy with long black hair and a black and yellow t-shirt, each of them holding a skateboard.

"Come on," said the girl to Blake as she walked off. With slight uncertainty, Blake followed her through a door and into the adjecent room. And, as Blake entered, she had to stop and stare at the immense size of the place.

The opposite wall had to be at least a hundred feet away from her, and everything between it and her was a labyrinth of ramps and rails of dark grey and browns. As Blake gawked at the scope of the space, the green haired girl turned around to face her.

"You ever skate before?" She asked, setting the skateboard on the floor and rolling towards Blake.

She shook her head. "Never," she answered honestly, placing a foot on the board. "I just saw this place and thought I'd try it out."

"Well, the key," the girl said, "is to commit. The nastiest accidents happen when people chicken out midway through an ollie or going down a ramp. Here." She walked over and stepped up on the board, Blake graciously stepping out of the way. She dragged one foot on the ground and gently pushed herself forwards. "Lean with the board, trust your momentum and balance." Blake watched her lean on one side of the board and turn in a smooth, wide arc. She rounded a foot high rail and stopped right in front of Blake.

"Wow," Blake said, impressed.

The girl smiled. "What's your name?" She asked, hopping off the board.

Blake took the board with one foot. "Blake," she answered.

The girl placed one hand on her hip. "Reese," she replied. "Here, try it."

Blake stared down at the board and, a bit precariously, stood on the board with both feet. Immediately, she felt all sense of balance stolen from her as the board rolled forwards without her control. Her arms waved helplessly for a few moments before Reese put a supporting arm out, releasing a soft laugh.

"Relax," the girl said. "Don't try to bending your knees too much. Like I said, lean with the board. You're not on the ground anymore, so don't act like you are." Reese helped Blake forwards, leading her by the arm as Blake slowly gained momentum. Then, completely without regard for Blake, Reese released her arm and let Blake roll in complete free motion.

For a moment, Blake felt a jolt of fear surge through her. _Oh God, I'm going to fall. I'm going to trip and fall and break every bone in my body and somehow contract a debilitating disease that will spread to everyone I know and love._

But, then, as she continued rolling forwards completely undeterred, she couldn't stop from looking down in amazement at the fact that she had maintained her footing. She glanced behind her to see Reese staring at her with her arms crossed, a proud smile on her face. Blake returned her eyes forwards, remembering to lean with the movement of the board.

As she neared an oncoming wall, the image of Reese flashed into her mind. She shifted her weight and the placement of her front foot to one side of the board. Right away, the board curved to one side and turned in conjunction with her body. She rolled right by the wall, only managing to miss it by about half a foot.

Experimentally, she dragged a foot over the ground and pushed herself forwards, increasing her speed. She rolled right past Reese, picking up momentum as she rolled around the smooth course of the building. She would shift her weight and footing so to roll around the rails and ramps with a surprising amount of fluidity.

"Oh my God!" Blake cried in excitement. "This is awesome!"

"Slow down a bit," Reese called.

Blake frowned. "How do I do that?" She asked. Reese might have said something, but Blake didn't catch it. She continued to pick up speed and, unconsciously, curved back around towards Reese herself. "Reese!"

Blake closed her eyes and covered her face. But, before she felt the inevitable impact of her body hitting something very hard and concrete, she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist and swing her off the board and back down onto her feet. Blake latched onto the figure that grabbed her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to see the green haired girl laughing with her head rolled back in amusement. "Damn," the girl said. "That was awesome. Are you sure you've never skated before?"

Blake grinned. "No, I swear, I've never tried before in my life, but... But, wow, that _really fun_!"

She nodded. "Yeah, and you're a natural at it. Did your friend ever show you how?"

For a moment, Blake stared at her in confusion. "Oh, you mean Ruby," she said finally. "We just met the other day and we're still getting to know each other," Blake explained. "I knew she liked to skate so I decided we could hang out here for a little bit."

Reese tilted her head. "You brought her here even though you've never skated before in your life?" She asked. "That sounds like a lot more than just 'getting to know someone' you know."

"What do you mean?"

Reese arched an eyebrow. "I saw you guys at the counter," she stated. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that _someone_ was looking for something more than just 'friendship'. Funny. You don't strike me as the type to swing that way."

Blake averted her eyes. "W-What do you mean?" She asked, feigning ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, yeah?" Reese said wryly. "Look down."

Blake looked down to find that Reese's arms were still wrapped around her waist, and her hands were still interlocked around the girl's neck. Their bodies were practically pressed against each other.

Blake quickly stepped away, breaking their physical contact. At the same time, the doors of skate parks opened up, attaining the attention of the two girls. Blake turned her eyes on the two people who entered, particularly a young Ruby Rose geared up in elbows pads, knee pads, padded gloves, and a helmet.

"Ruby?" Blake called nervously.

Ruby smiled nervously, her knees bent awkwardly, as she rubbed the back of her neck and held her skateboard at her side. "Uh, heya, Blake."

Blake walked over to her. "Ruby, you look... Safe."

Blake felt something touch her shoulder, and she turned to see Reese walking away, flashing her a knowing smile. "I'll leave you two be," she whispered before disappearing with the boy before and reentering the lobby.

Ruby lay the board down on the ground and put an experimental foot on it. "This place is totally awesome!" She said. "I've never been to a place like this. All the skate parks I've ever been were outside and fenced off."

Blake smiled. "Well, I thought you'd like the privacy," she stated.

Ruby looked up at her. "You mean you knew about this place? Like, before hand?"

Blake nodded. "I might have checked it out once or twice. Figured you'd want to avoid attention as much as possible. Thought this place was perfect."

If she had a camera, Blake would have taken a hundred pictures of the beaming smile that was plastered on the girl in front of her that was so bright, Blake was half tempted to cover eyes if not for missing the incredible sight.

Ruby hopped over to the taller girl and threw her arms around her neck. "Thank you, Blake!" She hummed before releasing the girl, who was now sporting a deep crimson color on her cheeks.

"I-It's not problem," she stammered. "Now, let's see what you can do."

Ruby's face became determined as she eyed the skateboard on the floor. She placed one foot on it and rolled it back and forth a few times. Then, she hopped on it with both feet, briefly put one foot down to propel her forwards.

Blake was eager to watch the girl move. She loved seeing her having fun and enjoying herself, and watching her at the bowling alley had been nearly hypnotic. On top of seeing a seasoned skater actually getting into their craft, she was going to be seeing Ruby of all people. She watched attentively as the girl picked up speed, expectations soaring through her mind, images of Ruby hopping on and grinding down a twenty foot long rail, jumping over a five foot high staircase, and doing all sorts of flips and twists with the board flooded her mind.

That is until the board flew out from under her and she landed square on her rear.

It took Blake to register what happened before worry took over her entire body and she sprinted over to where her friend had fallen.

"Ruby! Oh my God, are you alright?!"

Ruby, thankfully, seemed relatively unharmed as she smiled up at Blake. "I'm fine," she said, getting up. "It's just been a while since I've been on a skateboard."

Blake laughed. "Yeah, a few months without practice would get anyone."

Ruby shook her head. "It's been more than a few months," she said. "More like six or seven years."

Blake froze. "What?"

Laughing, Ruby explained, "My sister tried teaching me when we were kids. She's super into the whole skating thing. She thought we could bond over it or something and tried getting me into it, too. But, I never really got the hang of it."

And like that, Blake watched as her entire plan began to crumble.

"B-B-But, on your Remnant page, you had a picture of a your car. It was a Sur... A Sie..." Blake struggled to remember the name of the car that Sun had called it. "A Sedan!" She stated as it finally came to her. "There was a skateboard in it."

"Oh, that?" Ruby asked. "That my sisters car. It's an Impreza WRX. She's really proud of it, and that was her skateboard in the passenger seat. She just uploaded to my page because she thought it would make me look cooler."

Blake's shoulders slumped in defeat, as all the time she and Neptune had put into preparing and planning for this had so quickly become for naught. Now, she was stuck doing an activity that neither of them had an real experience in, and the only way out was to awkwardly and sadly admit her mistake.

But, Ruby, seeing the displeasure in her roommates face, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But, you know what?" She said. Blake raised her head to look at Ruby, still smiling at her. "You seemed to kind of know what you're doing. You could show me a little, right? Then, maybe after this, we can go to that pizza parlor you were talking about."

Once again, Blake was astounded by the sheer kindness and understanding of such a misunderstood girl. Straighten her posture, she ran over the rogue board and returned to lay it at Ruby's feet. "Here, try it again," she said.

Ruby stepped onto the board once more. She quickly began to wobble back and forth unsteadily and looked like she was about to fall. Blake held her hands out, preparing to catch her if she did. But, then, Ruby's hand reached out grabbed her own as she used Blake's support to steady herself. "Whoa, that was close," she said.

Blake, forcing herself not to squeal from joy at the fact that she was once again holding hands with girl who'd captured her heart, nodded her head. "Remember," she said, mimicking the voice that been instructing not a few moments prior. "Trust you feet. Lean with the board, and don't be afraid of falling."

For the rest of their time at the skate park, Blake led Ruby step by step on how to maintain her balance on the board, gain momentum without falling, and even dutifully instruct her on how to turn the board. And, just as she had said, these basic techniques didn't quite come as naturally to her as they did Blake. However, because of this exact reason, and much to Blake's own delight, Ruby made sure to never let go Blake's hand during the whole endeavor.

And Blake had never been happier.

 **The truth is I actually planned for a lot more to happen in this chapter, including a pretty big development on Ruby's end, but eh, I'll just put it in the next chapter, which I am currently working on as we speak.**

 **If you didn't notice, I put a little nod in there to one my more devoted followers who's managing to comment on each and every one of these chapters (you know who you are). Seriously, I love all the feedback I'm getting and I can't wait to read more of your reviews!**


	7. Mi Tierra

**Man, it's been a while, hasn't it? Almost two weeks. Yeah, well, I'll take the blame for that one, but there are a few things that I've been thinking about and I want to run them by you guys.**

 **First, yes I realize my mistake. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, once upon a time I posted an update chapter to report on the progress of the story. While posting the last chapter, I off handedly deleted the 'Update' chapter, which made chapter 7 be repurposed as chapter 6 by default, and because this website doesn't allow you to leave more than one review per chapter, every one who had left a review on the previous chapter 6 (which was chapter 5) could no longer leave a review on the new chapter 6 (which was the real chapter 6). I acknowledge this mistake, and I can only offer you my most sincere apologies.**

 **Second, the reason this chapter has taken so long to come out is for a couple of reasons. Yeah, work and school and all that is a big issue, but the main reason I haven't uploaded in a while is because I've been thinking about which direction to take this story. As of right now, I've come to a reasonable decision on how to pace it for the time being, as well as the impact the characters will have. Because of this, I am taking Cinder out of the summary. Don't worry, she's still going to be a major player in this, but I've come to the conclusion that her part isn't going to be as important or have as much time devoted to it as Ruby, Blake, or Sun's.**

 **Third, I'm debating on changing the title of this story. Yes, I love it's current title and I really do admire my own cleverness in coming up with it, but I can't help but think that it gives off a skewed impression in comparison to what this story is actually about. It's a minor thing that shouldn't really bother me, but it does nonetheless. So, as a means of putting me at ease, I'd like your opinion on the matter. Should I change the title to something a little more fitting or just leave it as it is?**

 **As always, all comments, negative and positive, are welcomed and I cannot wait to hear your feedback.**

"I can't believe you _broke_ the skateboard," Ruby said laughing.

Although it hadn't gone quite as planned, Blake could still say with reasonable assurity that the date had been a resounding success. Ruby was in fact a rather terrible skater, not being able to keep her balance on her own for more than a few seconds before she would spill over and send the board far off into a wall. With Blake's help, she was able to move at a relatively decent pace, and Blake was more than happy to lend her hand.

As time winded down, Ruby had decided she would be okay with simply sitting down watching Blake, who found the activity quite bit more entertaining than she would have ever imagined. She would experiment with how tightly she could turn as well as going up and down ramps, Ruby cheering her on the whole time. At some point, the book worm began feeling somewhat adventurous and attempted to grind down one of the rails.

Only for disaster to strike.

"I'm glad it was only a cheap novice board," Blake said. "I'd hate to have to pay for a broken skateboard that I'd never get to use."

After they had finished up and returned all the equipment, the two found themselves at their original destination, a modest pizza parlor that seemed to only have a few of the school staff as customers, something neither of them minded much.

"I'm impressed that you even went for it, though," Ruby commented as she bit down on her slice. "You're actually pretty good. Are you sure you've never skateboarded before?"

Blake nodded. "Never," she confirmed. "Never even thought about it. This was my first time doing something like that."

She smiled. "Wow. Yang would really like you. She loves that kind of stuff. The skating, the fast cars, the loud parties. One time, a cop pulled up next to her at a street light and she decided to race him." She laughed. "Imagine her surprise when the cop turned out to be our uncle!"

Blake gave her an amused expression. "She sounds like a handful."

"Oh, she definitely is," Ruby agreed. "But, she means well and she can actually be pretty thoughtful." She took another bite. "What about you? Are you missing your family at all?"

Blake sighed. "Everyday. My parents and I are really close," she explained. "My dad was actually against me coming here because he didn't like the idea of me being so far away. When he found out Sun was coming here with me, he just about had a heart attack."

Ruby giggled. "You talked about him before. What's Sun like?"

Blake propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. "He's a goofball," she stated. "Loud, obnoxious, and he makes terrible jokes."

"Sounds like he would get along _really_ well with my sister."

Blake smiled. "But, he was pretty much my first friend, and the only one that's stuck around. I'm not exactly a social butterfly. It took him years to get me to come out of my shell, and even now, I'm not so good at making friends."

Ruby arched an eyebrow. "You could've fooled me," she said. "From what I've seen, you're actually pretty charming."

Heat shot up to Blake's face. "O-Oh, really?"

"Absolutely," Ruby asserted. "I mean, look at you. You can skate, you've got pretty good fashion sense, and somehow, you're not a total highbrow. You're really nice and understanding, especially in my case. And when you stood up to Cardin last night..." She shooked her head. "I don't mean to be all sappy, but that really meant a lot to me. I still can't thank you enough."

The whole time, Blake was stuck staring at her hands as the fidgeted in her lap. She wanted to pull her beanie down over her entire face and hide out of embarrassment. She'd never gotten that kind of praise from _anyone_ , save for Sun during his various proposals, and getting it from Ruby made Blake feel like she was dreaming.

"I told you," Blake mumbled, "it wasn't a problem. Friends stick up for each other." She shrugged her shoulders nervously. "You're really cool yourself, you know. You're pretty and nice, a-and... I'm really happy that you're my roommate." Sucking in a breath, Blake chose her next words carefully.

 _This is the moment._

"You know, I've been thinking that you're a really awesome person," she said, still staring down. "You're so happy and upbeat and the total opposite of me and I... I'm really glad that I met you and I was thinking that, maybe, we could go out sometime? You know, not as friends, but, like... Something more? That... Doesn't sound weird does it?"

She didn't get an answer.

"Ruby?" She asked, looking up only to see that the seat in front of her was empty. The chiming of a bell drew her attention to the door as she watched Ruby run out. Blake hastily threw two tens on the table and ran after the girl.

 _So, this is what it's like, huh?_

As she exited the restaurant, she spotted her roommate running across the street with little regard towards a large, classical building with elegant grey stone designs and high arches lining the entire outer wall.

Blake quickly followed her. She watched as Ruby reached a black tinted glass door. She attempted to pry it open, but to no avail. After briefly scanning the area, she ran around the side of the building and down one of the alley. Cursing to herself, Blake went in after her. As she turned the corner, she watched as Ruby hopped off the top of a dumpster, grabbing onto the sill of an open window and pull herself in, disappearing inside.

For a moment, Blake was completely deflated, feeling like she'd been ditched, only for Ruby to lean outwards jsut a moment later. She locked eyes with the dark haired teen and waved frantically with one hand.

Blake rushed over and climbed on top of the dumpster. "What are you doing?" She demanded in a heated whisper.

In response, Ruby only put a finger to her lips and held out her hand. Reluctantly, Blake took it and she hulled up and through the small opening. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, then allowed herself to fall to the floor, which was only a few feet below her. The two were now on the second floor of the building, and Blake still had no idea what was going through her friends mind.

Then, she heard something. A combination of piano keys and bass beat.

 _"Theodosia writes me a letter every day."_

Blake watched as Ruby lowered herself down into a crouch and sneakily made her way over to a balcony, of which was the source of the only light in the building that Blake could see.

 _"I'm keeping the bed warm while her husband is away."_

Slowly, Blake followed Ruby's footsteps, making sure to be equally quiet, until they both reached a finely carved wooden rail. Ruby crept up, peaking over the top to see what was below.

 _"He's on the British side in Georgia. He's trying to keep the colonies in line."_

Ruby seemed entirely entranced as she stared downwards. For a moment, Blake was equally distracted from simply staring at the wide eyed girl, taking in her expression of wonder and committing it to her permanent memory.

 _"But he can keep all of Georgia. Theodosia, she's mine."_

Finally, curiosity got the better of her, and she peaked over the rail to see whatever it was that had captured Ruby's attention so fiercely.

Down below were about a dozen rows empty, red theater seats all curving around a single, glossy wooden stage. Standing right in the center of the stage, holding on to a mic stand was a dark skinned boy who looked to be about the same age as herself. He wore a dark fedora with a blue trim as well as a dark vest over a white dress shirt. Behind him was a line of five other kids of seemingly various ages, all of which had their own microphones.

 _"Love doesn't discriminate_

 _Between the sinners and the saints_

 _And it take and it takes and it takes."_

The boys voice came out in a low harmonious tone that came out in rather soft, almost comforting hum. The beat closely resembled a dancehall reggae, and the boy slowly swayed and bounced to the rhythm as he sang.

 _"And we keep loving anyway_

 _We laugh and we cry_

 _And we break and we make our mistake."_

His voice didn't echo like it should have. Though the theater was wide and should have support any and all reverberance, the boys voice still remained smooth and undeterred as it filled the entire structure. Blake watched as the singers behind the boy joined in.

 _"And if there's a reason I'm by her side_

 _When so many have tried_

 _Then I'm willing to wait for it_

 _I'm willing to wait for it."_

Though she sat in an uncomfortable crouch, hiding behind wooden railing, Blake found herself oddly engrossed in the performance as though she were sitting in the very first row. Though she didn't think about it, her eyes were glued to the boy and his entourage as their voices surrounded her, even making her forget that the two had snuck in through an open window and technically shouldn't have been there at all.

Blake never made a habit of breaking rules. In fact, more often than not, she made a point to follow regulations without question, as she found that simply doing as she was told was the quickest, most convenient way of proceeding through life, and though sneaking into a locked building had definitely rubbed her the wrong way, at the moment, she was simply too distracted to care. She would never be able to properly describe it, but something about watching and listening to their performance was captivating in way that nothing she'd ever experienced had ever been before.

 _"And if there's a reason_

 _I'm still alive_

 _When so many have died_

 _Then I'm willing to wait for it."_

The singers behind the boy repeated the final words after him, giving a vibrating effect to the line as their voices slowly drifted off into silence, their final note washing over the theater in a subtle yet powerful wave.

Blake watched in utter intrigue as they finished their act and congradulated each other on their performance. She revelled in silence at how incredible they had sounded, despite being live, a concept which never interested Blake before hand for fear of her favorite music groups sounding awful when not in a recording studio.

However, Ruby seemed to have other ideas, as she hopped to her feet released a loud cheer.

"Woo!" She cried, clapping her ecstatically.

All the performers turned around and looked up at the two girls, all of them giving the two a mix of confused and agitated glares. Desperately, Blake grabbed Ruby by the wrist and dragged her back over to the window where she quickly ushered her out. She listened for the sound of her landing on the dumpster lid before quickly following after her.

" _Ruby_ ," Blake whispered in exasperation, still hurrying to lead Ruby away from the building. "What were you thinking?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder nervously. "If we had gotten caught breaking into a building before classes even started, who knows what might've happened. We might have been suspended, or worse, expelled!"

"Did you see them?" Was Ruby's only reply.

Blake hesitated. "What?"

"They were amazing weren't they?!" She exclaimed. "I mean, they were all on stage and the sang together perfectly! And the kid, the one with the hat, he sounded incredible, didn't he?"

Blake stared at the girl for a moment, still unsure of what to say. But, after only a few seconds of staring into those marvelous silver irises, Blake resigned herself, knowing she'd never be able to stay angry at the girl. "Yes," she said with a sigh. "They were pretty good."

"Pretty good?" She repeated. "They were unbelievable!" She hugged herself in excitement, twisting and turning uncontrollably. "I bet you they're auditioning for the talent show this Friday! They have to be! Oh I can't wait to see them live!"

"Ruby," Blake said, attempting to calm the girl. "Let's talk about this back at the dorm, yeah? You kind of got spotted by one of the singers."

Ruby nodded, and the two ran off back to their dorms.

* * *

Blake was a relatively level headed person who could maintain her composure in most situations. Her hobbies were primarily limited to reading and writing which provided her with enough entertainment to fill most of her free time. The literary culture, however, did not leave much room for excitement. The most excitement Blake could ever recall feeling was whenever the next installment of a series she was interested had been announced or released.

Though she would never describe herself as impassionate, in fact, she was very much the opposite, she couldn't really recall a moment where she was able to just expound about a certain topic she found interesting. She could vaguely remember having the urge to talk about upcoming novels she was looking forward to or new authors she would discover, but perhaps the reason she could never truly indulge herself as ardently as she wished because she never really had anyone to whom she could indulged hersel with.

But, had she someone who could honestly relate to her and listen to her, Blake supposed she would have sounded very similar to how Ruby was sounding right now.

"Did you see that place! I thought the theater was in the Arts building!" She exclaimed. "What song was that? I've never heard it before! Where do you think they got the music from? Are they apart of the same music group? What if they're all independents who just decided to work together for this?"

Blake held a pleasant smile as she watched the girl's rampant gesticulations and listened to her wistful voice.

"Oh, wonder what that boy's name is," she pondered out loud, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I wonder what grade he's in."

Blake, who had found a seat at the bar, rested her chin on her fist as she leaned forwards, staying tuned in for every word that came out of the girls mouth. "Well, he certainly was talented," she agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was a senior. Maybe next time we could wait until the theater is actually open to ask him."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously. "Yeah, sorry about dragging you in there. I didn't ask if you would be comfortable doing something like that."

Blake waved a hand. "Nonsense," she said. "It was fun. To be honest, I never have done something like that, sneaking into places and such."

"Well, they say college is your chance to experiment and explore," Ruby stated. "It's always good to try out new things."

"Perhaps," she replied. "But, maybe we should stick to trying out things that wouldn't get us kicked out of school. You know, just to be on the safe side."

Ruby smiled, clearly taking Blake's suggestion as a joke, which is exactly how Blake intended for it to come out. The fact that she didn't actually take it seriously actually eased Blake's worries even more.

All her life, one of the biggest problems Blake had when it came to socializing was coming off a bit too stand-offish. Having read many, many different books at such a young age, her only reference when it came to real life conversations were those of which she read in her novels, which usually centered around colorful, witty and sarcastic characters that, had they existed in real life, would be considered to be more rude than clever.

And that is exactly how Blake usually came off whenever she had tried to fit into a casual conversation. She had a bad habit making entirely rhetorical remarks that weren't meant to be taken seriously, but due to her rather humorless image, most of her classmates wouldn't know that, and Blake would only end up making everyone uncomfortable. Thus, she learned to keep her mouth shut lest she make the situation awkward, a lesson which, unfortunately, led to her being even more antisocial.

However, seeing Ruby smile at her remark was very much reassuring, letting her know that she, around her roommate, she wouldn't have to constantly keep watch over what she said and didn't say for fear of offending her.

"Don't be a scrooge," Ruby said, leaning over the bar as well. "We wouldn't have gotten kicked out even if we were caught. It's only the first week, and we would have gotten off with a warning."

Blake shrugged. "Still, it was quite a risk to take just to see a couple of students singing a song on stage."

"But they weren't just students," Ruby insisted. "Did you see their outfits? And their stage placements? That was planned! It was an actual, real performance!"

"And?" She asked. "Have you... Never seen a performance before?"

She put a hand on her hip. "Of course I've seen a performance!" She exclaimed. "Just because I was poor doesn't mean I've never had the chance to see some more classy entertainment." She turned around and crossed her arms, closing her eyes in silent contemplation. "Hey, Blake."

"Hmm?"

"You said I can trust you right? And you wouldn't judge me?"

Blake sat up straight. "Of course," she said seriously. "I would never judge you for anything."

Ruby hopped up on the bar and began swinging her legs mindlessly. "Remember when I told you about my two majors?"

"Business and hotel management," Blake said, not skipping a beat.

Ruby smiled. "Yeah, I might have... Lied about those."

Blake furrowed her brow. "About your majors? Why would you lie about those?"

She held her arm and looked away. "Well, because my real majors are a little... Childish," she explained.

"What are they really?" Blake asked, perplexed by Ruby's attitude.

She hesitated, and lowered her head, and in a quiet voice, murmured, "Music and theatre."

Blake tilted her head. "Music and theatre?" She repeated. "Like, Broadway stuff?"

Ruby spun around, her expression determined. "Yes!" She blurted. "Exactly like Broadway!" She let out a soft sigh. "I've always wanted to be a Broadway actress. I remember my mom taking me to see all kinds of plays when I was little. And it was... It was just amazing! All these stories about redemption and love and heroes and villains, and what's more, they since and dance them! The amount of skill and talent it takes to perform just a half hour play is ridiculous! On top of that, the time and effort it takes to choreograph and practice and perfect is unlike anything else in the world! And I... I would do anything to be on that stage."

Blake watched the girl closely. She spoke with such conviction, like this idea of her performing on the stage had been implanted in her mind the very day she was born. She didn't talk about it like it was some unachievable dream, but more like it was a far away destination that was taking way too long to reach.

She turned to Blake, weariness clear on her face. "That's not... Childish, is it?"

Blake smiled. "Of course not," she said. "It's not anymore childish than anyone else's reason for coming to this school. But... Can you sing?"

Ruby folded her hands in her lap. "I can. Well, I do. When I'm alone. I've never sang in front of anyone."

"You should," Blake stated, causing Ruby turn turned to her and meet the raven haired teen's eyes. "I would love to hear you sing," she proclaimed.

For a moment, Ruby simply stared at her. Then, a wide smile spread over her face. "Thank you. I think I will. Sometime."

 **So, not gonna lie, some of you may noticed a few things. Yes, certain events seemed a bit rushed and even forced, I will be the first to admit that this was partly due to my own mistakes. After not having uploaded in nearly two weeks, I was in a rush to get this chapter out and typed it up in the span of only a few hours. If there are any inconsistencies, feel free to let me know in a review. Thank you so much for reading!**


End file.
